Shattered Time
by snowdreams
Summary: Rei Kisagari is an ordinary girl living in modern Japan. Her life is constantly darkened by secrets and her alcoholic aunt. But when she drops down a hole and gets sent back 200 years before her time, everything changes forever.A BreakxOC fic.Please R
1. Prologue

**Shattered Time**

Hello everyone=^_^= This is my first fanfic I've written for Pandora Hearts so...I really hope you'll enjoy it!

Break: Well of course they'll enjoy it because I'm there! *grins*

Rei: And me, too!

snowdreams: *sweatdrop* Right…now time for the disclaimer! *clears throat* Pandora Hearts (sadly) doesn't belong to me but to Jun Mochizuki and the only thing that belongs to me is this story and my OC Rei!

Anyway, reviews are always appreciated and they make my day.

Now onwards with the story! (:

***Edited** on 5/27/12. Re-edited on 16/6/12. I re-read the other chapters and wasn't satisfied so I'll be editing the others too. There will only be minor changes.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Prologue**

_Darkness surrounded her._

_How long had she been in here? She had completely lost track of time._

_Time._

_No, 'time' didn't exist in this place…_

_A faint sob broke the silence. White petals started to flutter down with a passing breeze. Turning, Rei saw a young girl on the ground._

_Hair as white as snow cascaded down her milky shoulders, dress in the same shade. With her long eyelashes and doll-like features, she was a picture of magnificence. Beauty. Yet her eyes held nothing but a haunting sadness._

_Eyes that Rei couldn't look away from._

_Then there was red._

_Red streamed down her arm as the girl gripped a pair of silver scissors. It stained her hair, face and dress. Tears, like tiny glistening diamonds, slid down her soft cheeks from lowered eyes._

_She tightened her grip. More blood spilled._

_Gazing up, her azure orbs bore into Rei's jade ones and her lips curved into an angelic smile._

"_My name is Alyss."_

_Alyss?_

_The next second, the smile turned ugly and malicious, distorting her innocent face. Throwing her head back, her body started to shake with maniac cackles._

_The blood continued streaming, creating a spreading pool of crimson as the cackles filled the darkness..._

* * *

"Ahhh!" Rei Kisagari awoke with a jolt. Beads of sweat dotted her forehead, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Her blanket lay in a twisted heap beside her, forgotten. She ran a shaky hand across her face.

_That dream again._ It was already the nth time she had it. It was always the same thing-darkness, petals, the girl, then blood.

"A dream, it was just a dream." She reassured herself. Despite those words, she couldn't stop trembling.

It had felt so real. The girl, the iciness of the place, even the nauseating smell of that blood…

It had felt as though she was _there_.

"_My name is Alyss."_

_Who_ was Alyss? Why couldn't she stop dreaming about her?

Those were the questions that she woke up everyday with but had no answer to.

_Maybe I'm just stressed with school. I just need to relax._

She nodded firmly. A good hang out with her friends and chill-time was what she needed. Glancing at the digital alarm, she let out a curse.

_Crap, I'm gonna be late!_

She hopped in and out of the shower in record time, and five minutes later she was dressed in her school uniform and prepared to go. Heading down the stairs, the first thing she saw was her aunt sprawled on the couch in the living room, snoring away. Her mouse brown curly hair was in an unruly mess, clothes crumpled. It was obvious she hadn't bothered to bathe in days, relying on cheap perfume to cover the smell. Peanut shells and snack bags littered every area of the floor. A half-empty beer can lay discarded beside her body, along with another pile on the coffee table. The room reeked heavily of alcohol and perfume.

Rei grimaced. Great, more work for her to do after she came back. She was already used to being the 'housekeeper' and coping with her alcoholic aunt ever since her parents passed away two years ago in a car accident. Recalling it brought a pang in her down, even though no one ever said it, she had always known it was her fault. She remembered the moment clearly as though it was yesterday.

-Flashback-

_Rei glared angrily at her parents through held back tears. "You promised! You promised you'd stay with me this weekend!"_

_Her parents, dressed in their expensive business suits stood at the door, faces torn between guilt and indecision._

"_Rei, we're sorry but there was suddenly another important meeting this afternoon and…" Her mother started._

"_Forget it! You're always making the same excuse; always breaking your promises to me. All you care is your work! I'm not important to you!" Rei cried. She felt betrayed, unwanted. Her parents hardly spent even ten minutes at home. They were always flying to someplace or having meetings. Every time they promised that they would spend some time with their own daughter, only to break it in the end. She couldn't take it any longer._

_She continued glaring until her mother sighed._

"_Alright, we'll cancel the meeting and stay with you, okay?"_

"_But honey, the meeting…"_

_Instead of feeling happy, Rei felt disgusted instead. She hated how they sounded as though it was so troublesome to spare some time to be with her. It made her feel terrible….like_she _was the selfish one and not them. Her father was clearly more concerned with the meeting than his own daughter._

"_Forget it! Just…just go! I don't want to see you again!" Bursting into tears, she fled up the stairs to the comfort of her own bedroom._

-End flashback-

Never did she know that that was the last moment she'd see them. Just hours later, they had gotten into a car accident. Both perished right on the scene. Rei was inconsolable for weeks. She kept to herself, grief and guilt choking her everyday like a poison. She had been stubborn, selfish and they had paid the price for it.

If only she hadn't throw a tantrum. If only she had been more adamant to let them stay with her. If only she hadn't said those words.

If only, if only, if only.

But after weeks of self-blame and guilt, she knew it was pointless. They weren't going to come back.

_Accept it_, Rei had thought to herself. _Accept the reality, even if it's painful, torturous, or unbearable…accept everything. Because nothing can change no matter what you do now._

That was why Rei forced herself to smile. Not for her sake, but because she knew her parents wouldn't want her to be in a grieving mess. Her aunt moved in to live with her after that, the only close relative she had. Money was not a big issue because Rei's parents were considerably rich, but she hated how her aunt squandered it carelessly on alcohol. By no means was she a great housekeeper (she had never lifted a finger in the past), but if it meant retaining at least their house for them, she would gladly do it.

She did her best-cooking, cleaning, tidying it even though she knew her aunt would ruin it again.

Opening the front door, she stepped out. The fresh morning air perked her up almost instantly. Tucking a lock of long blond hair behind a ear, she peered at the sky.

Today was going to be different. She could feel it.

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Please tell me whatcha think! Reviews are absolutely loved like velvety hot chocolate and awesome marshmallows! (:


	2. Down the hole she goes

snowdreams: Hello everyone(: I hope you've enjoyed the last chapter. I did the disclaimer last time, so now I'll leave it to the Pandora crew!

Rei: Arigatou! *smiles* Pandora Hearts belongs to Jun Mochizuki and only me and this story belongs to snowdreams!

Break: Sadly, I didn't appear in the last chapter. But I'll appear really soon so wait for my grand entrance!*grins* I'm sure our dear readers miss me, right?

snowdreams: *sweatdrop*Right…anyway, I hope you'll enjoy this story!smiles*

* * *

**Chapter 2: Down the hole she goes**

"Thanks for the hard work everyone! Good job!"

"Bye Rei! See you tomorrow!"

Rei waved goodbye to her friends. As soon as they were gone however, she started to run. Student council meeting had ended later than usual, and she was way past her curfew. Her stomach curdled at the thought of her aunt's impending rage. Her aunt always hated her retuning home late. Rei hope her hangover would be gone and she would be drinking away in a pub again.

The sun had dipped into the horizon when Rei opened the door. She stepped in slowly, glancing around. It was dark and quiet. She was starting to feel relieved when suddenly something hard smacked her head. She gasped in pain, flipping on the lights hurriedly; her aunt was glaring at her and holding a cane.

"What kind of time do ya call this?" She slurred. The smell of her breath evidently told Rei that she was beyond wasted; and _very_ unhappy. Rei took a step back, terrified.

"T-the club meeting ended later than usual so–" Rei's attempted explanation was cut by a tight slap in the face.

"How dare you make excuses? What do you treat this house as? A freaking hotel?" She raised the cane and starting whacking Rei everywhere, eyes red-rimmed and glazed.

"No, stop it!" Rei cried, flinging out her arms in a useless attempt to defend herself. "Please! Stop!"

"You useless girl…So you loiter around late at night just because I'm not watching you? You wanna be a slut to all of those men? Tsk, all men are scum, scum! Just like my useless ex-husband…a good-for-nothing! YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?" She screamed.

The blows continued to rain down of her. They burned her skin like acid and tears sprung in her eyes. In a moment of desperation, Rei gave her aunt a hard shove and she tumbled to the floor.

"T-that's enough!" Rei cried, hating the tremble in her voice. She took advantage of her aunt's shock and flew out of the house, sobbing. She ran blindly into the streets, not caring where she went.

Finally, she collapsed on a nearby bench, hugging her knees to her chest. She just couldn't take it anymore. She wanted to run away, or die. Dying didn't seem so bad compared to living in this shit-hole of a life. She let herself sob till they were nothing but soft hiccups. God, she was pathetic. Why did she have to have such a screwed up life?

"Mrraow!"

She jumped.

A white cat was standing in front of her, large blue eyes blinking. It raised a white paw and turned to the dark alley behind it as if to say 'Follow me'.

Confused, Rei followed her into the dark alley. When she turned around a bend however, the cat had vanished. She frowned. She could have sworn it was in front of her a few seconds ago.

"Where are you?" she called.

There was no answer.

After a few minutes of silence, she gave up. She knew she had to go home, as much as she dreaded it.

Just as she moved however, a loud rumbling and vibrating motion nearly made her lose her balance. It came from below her! _Is it an earthquake? No, wait if it was there would definitely be other people screaming right now…_

To her astonishment, the ground started to split and open up. A blinding light shone out of it.

Suddenly, two thick tentacles shot out of the light, coiling around her legs with a death grip. Rei gasped as it started to drag her down.

"Help! Help!" Rei screamed. The tentacles were revolting, covered in slime and tiny thorns that pierced painfully into her legs. She was amazed her legs weren't crushed yet. She tried to kick them away with all her strength, but it was futile. The more she struggled, the more the tiny spikes pierced into her flesh, letting crimson blood flow out.

_Blood…_

A flash of her dream came back to her. Blood. White dress. Alyss.

Her voice went hoarse. Half her body was inside the light now, and she was starting to lose consciousness from the blood loss.

_No, help...please…_

She gave one last terrified scream before her vision faded and everything went black.

* * *

snowdreams: Oh no, what's going to happen to Rei? *gasps*

Break: You're sick, how could you torture someone like that? And to think I thought you were a nice person…*fakes a sad, disappointed face*

snowdreams: Oh come on, I'm not really evil… am I? *grins*Anyway, look forward to chapter 3 to know what will happen!

Please review! I really appreciate them(:


	3. Discovery

snowdreams: *humming a tune* So here's chapter 3, everyone!

Oz: *pouts* When will we making our appearance?

Alice: And mine, too? *frowns impatiently*

snowdreams: Eheheh, don't worry, I haven't' forgotten you two. You won't be appearing now, but soon! Speaking of appearances…

Break: I'll be making my (glorious) appearance in this chapter! *cheers*

snowdreams: So will you do the honour of saying the disclaimer?

Break: Gladly. Everything belongs to Jun Mochizuki except for this story and her OC! *grins*

Snowdreams: I'm sorry this chapter is so short, but I'll try to make my other chapters longer...*smiles sheepishly*

Now, onwards with the story! (:

* * *

**Chapter 3: Discovery**

It was past midnight in the Rainsworth household, and Xerxes Break was strolling down the hallway. He had just received an earful from Liam for not completing the paperwork he had to do, which he argued had been humanly impossible to complete within three days.

"Seriously, there's just too much work to be done. It's so boring! Why does Liam love working all the time? "Break complained gloomily to Emily, the rag doll sitting on his shoulder.

Emily giggled. "Because he's not lazy like you!"

He fake-gasped. "I'm _not_ lazy!"

"Yes you are! You're just lazy! Lazy! Lazy~" Emily sang.

"What's the point of being a workaholic? All Liam does is stay cooped up in that office of his and serve his master."

"At least he gets his work done!"

"And become a hermit crab in exchange," Break sniffed. "I have a _life_."

"Break is just lazy~"

"No I'm _not_. There are _much_ better things to do than–"

"_Thump_!"

Break froze.

"Emily, did you hear that?" He asked. It had come from the Rainsworth Door to the Abyss, located at the end of the hallway they were in.

"I heard it!" Emily affirmed.

He frowned. _That can't be good. I'd better check it out… _

He started to run, hand at the hilt of his sword in case it was an intruder. The Rainsworth house was very well-guarded, but he couldn't rule out that possibility. Drawing his sword, he flung open the doors, fully prepared to face whoever it was.

The sight that greeted him however completely threw him off-guard.

"What the…" Break's jaw went slack as he lowered his weapon.

It was a girl, probably 16 years old, lying very still in front of the door. She was badly injured, blood streaming down her legs and arms along with several cuts and blue-black bruises. Her golden blonde hair lay in disarray, framing dirtied cheeks.

But what he simply couldn't comprehend was her _clothes_. It resembled a sailor's uniform, only it had a large red ribbon. The bottom was completed with a short pleated skirt, socks and brown shoes. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before.

A thousand thoughts raced past his mind all at once. Had she come out from the Door? Was she a Contractor? An enemy?

Was she even _alive_?

"It's a girl! A girl! What's she doing here?" Emily spoke up.

"I don't know," Break said, pulling away from his train of thoughts. He snapped back onto the more important matter at hand.

He knelt beside her, relaxing slightly when he saw that she was breathing. He did a quick inspection. She had deep injuries, not life-threatening, but she would need immediate medical treatment.

"We'd better tell Milady about this first and treat her first before taking action." Break decided. He was thankful there weren't any guards around or the sight of the girl would have certainly caused uproar. "And I guess I'll have to carry her…"

"Break's a pervert! A pervert!" Emily chirped.

"Shut up, Emily," Break said, in a rare moment not in the mood for the doll's teasing. This night was going all wrong.

He shook the girl gently, but she did not wake. Sighing, he slid his arms below her shoulders and knees and picked up the girl as carefully as he could. He swallowed. Heavens, this girl was as light as a feather. Did she even eat? He grimaced as the blood seeped into his clean attire.

_What in the world had _happened_ to her_? He thought as he looked at her young face. Even unconscious, her brows were creased in pain. It had been such a mundane night, and now this.

_Well, this certainly is a wonderful surprise…_

* * *

**A/N**:

snowdreams: What will happen to Rei? And what_ did_ happen to her? Questions, questions. I'll post chapter 4 soon, if I have the time of course…*smiles*

So, don't forget to click that review button below. Feel free to leave any negative/positive comments!


	4. Where am I?

**A/N**:Hello everyone! Sorry for the really loooong update! But i hope i can make it up to you with this longer chanpter...!^^'' Its Chinese New Year now...for asian countries...so Happy Chinese New Year! (: Anway, i'm not sure which year Pandora Heart was set in so i made up my own one. I hope it's not too far-fetched.

Alice:Don't worry about that! More imprtantly, what the hell were you doing?

Me;Umm, it was the holidays and there were tons of stuff to do so...

Alice:Right...

Me:I'm telling the truth! Anyway let's just continue to the story! ^^"

Disclaimer:Pandora Hearts sadly does't belong to me

Enjoy(:

_Edited 7/6/12 because I decided to write it with my 'improved' skills.._

* * *

Awareness crept back to her slowly. Rei's eyes fluttered open, and an unfamiliar ceiling came into view. Her whole body ached as though she had been trampled on by a hundred people and there was a persistent throb in her head.

_Urgh, what happened…?_

Then everything flooded back to her. The cat. The earthquake. The tentacles that dragged her down.

She sighed in relief. It had just been a dream. A really nasty one. She sat up, and let out a yelp.

_Holy shit._

She was dressed in a _nightgown_, in some high-quality fabric that felt deliciously smooth against her bandaged skin. Wait, where were her Totoro pyjamas? Why was she even bandaged? And–

Oww. Oww, oww, _oww_. She mentally cursed when she moved and pain pierced through her bandaged legs like a million tiny daggers.

And that was when she realised she was lying on a four-posterbed. With silk sheets and soft velvet pillows.

With a hanging jaw, she then took in the rest of her room...her incredibly different room. For starters, it had magically turned five times larger and looked like it was fit for a queen. There were Victorian-styled floral wallpapers, cream carpeted floors and a gold chandelier that hung from the ceiling. A cabinet in the corner displayed silver tableware and heavy golden curtains hung from a glass window where she could see the night sky. It was as though she had stepped right into one of those grand bedrooms in her history textbook. Everything was so…old-fashioned.

_I must have really fell down the hole and died and gone to heaven…._she thought faintly.

But that didn't make any sense. If she had fallen down the hole she should have woken up at the bottom of it, not in some regal-looking place. Maybe someone (incredibly rich) had found her and put her here.

Just when the first flicker of panic started to rise, the door swung open and two people strode into the room. The first one was a young girl about her age, followed by a man. She had long orange hair pulled back into a neat ponytail and had large magenta eyes. But it was her clothes that took her aback. She wore a floor-length ice blue dress decorated with white ribbons and every bit as frilly as a doll.

The man beside her looked even more bizarre–he had silver white hair, pale skin and a striking blunt crimson eye with the other concealed by his long fringe. He wore a plum-coloured shirt with a dark cravat and a floppy white coat over it. His lower half was completed with a pair of black 3/4 pants and white buckle boots. A rag doll sat on his shoulder.

You couldn't blame Rei, really, when the first think she thought when she saw them was _psychos_. Those dresses were practically ancient. Were they having a costume party or something? Or were they weirdos who lost track of time, or maybe some rich aristocrats–

Aristocrats! That's right, the luxurious room and Victorian setting…it fit perfectly! The way the young girl carried herself was graceful and dignified too.

"Ah, you're awake!"

Rei snapped out of her thoughts and realised the said girl was addressing her. She opened her mouth, groping for words to say. She had to find out who they were, where the hell she was, find a telephone and say '_sayonara'_ to this nut place.

"Umm, who are you? Where am I?" She asked finally.

"You are in the Rainsworth mansion. My name is Sharon Rainsworth, daughter of the duchess of this household." She introduced with a kind smile. Then she gestured to the silver-haired man. "And this is Xerxes Break, a servant of the dukedom."

"Nice to meet you, you can just call me Break. And this is Emily." He gave a sparkling grin that could have been an advert for shiny teeth, and pointed to the doll on his shoulder.

_Mansion? Duchess? Servants? What are they saying? All these only existed centuries ago. Are they really crazy?_

"Are you alright?" Sharon inquired. Rei stared at her. There wasn't any playful smile or tell-tall signs of a joke.

"You're joking right," Rei deadpanned. "Because if you are, this isn't funny,"

"Umm, I'm not..." Sharon's brow creased. "Perhaps we should call a doctor or a lady-in-waiting…"

_Lady-in-waiting?_

"Wait, just wait a minute. This doesn't make any sense!" Rei exclaimed. She felt as though she was spiralling deeper and deeper into confusion.

Sharon looked stunned at her outburst. The man, Break, had a blank expression on his face. After a short silence Sharon said, "I'm sorry; I don't quite understand what you mean…"

Great, just great. They were supposed to be the crazy people here, yet now Rei felt like _she_ was the crazy one. She closed her eyes for a few seconds. Then she decided to ask the most absurd question ever.

"What year is it now?"

_Please don't let it be what I thought…please…it's a bat-shit crazy, stupid question…pleasepleaseplease…_

"Why it's 1815 of course." Sharon replied.

1815.

The numbers fell to her ears like a bomb. She took a deep breath. Okay. Okay. Crazy rich girl who's still in her made-believe world. Stay calm.

"I-I mean…not here. Not just your aristocrat world. I mean the whole world and also Japan." Rei motioned to the place. Her heart was hammering in her chest. _Please say this is just a joke…oh God, please say you're just joking…_She pleaded silently in her head as she waited for her reply. Sharon looked at Break, and then looked back at her with an apologetic expression.

"Umm, I'm sorry, I really don't understand…"

Rei slumped against the bed frame. Her mind whirled through the logistics in it, but could only arrive at one fact.

Time-travelled.

She had freaking _time-travelled_ back two centuries into the past. The girl Sharon wasn't crazy, and she certainly hadn't looked like she was lying. It wasn't a joke. None of this was a joke. There was no one springing out to say 'Haha, you've been _punked_!'

It was so weird–home was usually the last place she would want to be in, yet now that was all she wanted to be at. Never mind her aunt, she just wanted to be back in her room…but now she had apparently ended up in some freaky Victorian-era place. She thought about her friends. Who would know that she had vanished? Would her aunt care? Would anyone even _notice_?

A cool hand rested on her shoulder and she looked up to see a pair of worried magenta eyes.

"Miss, are you alright?"

_No, I'm not alright! I want to go back to my time. I want to be back in my own world. I want to be in my own comfy bed and escape from this nonsense…_She wanted to tell all this to the girl but how could she? What could she say, that she was a time-travelling freak who fell down a hole that magically popped out of nowhere and that slimy tentacles pulled her in? She'd be thrown into a mental institution in a split second.

Sharon offered her a silk napkin. She blinked at first, not realising tears had been streaming down her face before she accepted it gratefully. She dried her tears and was silent for a long moment.

"Miss?"

"Rei," Rei sniffled. "My name is Rei Kisagari."

"Rei…that is a beautiful name," Sharon complimented with a warm smile that strangely made her feel better.

"Umm, thank you. Could you…explain to me what happened?"

"Break was the one who found you."

The silver-haired man nodded. "It was around midnight when I found you in front of the Door to the Abyss. You were…in quite a bad shape. Of course, we had to take you in and treat your wounds." He explained and tilted his head. "But I must ask. How did you end up in front of the Door? It's a highly guarded place…an ordinary girl wouldn't be able to get in."

"I don't know. I just fell down a hole and remembered nothing more." Rei said.

"A hole? Miss Rei, did you travel through the Abyss? Were you a Contractor?"

"What's that?"

"You don't know?"

"Umm, no,"

Break and Sharon shared a look.

"Well then. This is going to sound rather crazy."

"Try me." She said half-heartedly.

So in the next few minutes they told her about the Abyss, Chains and Contractors, and Pandora, and the other things of this world.

"That's impossible." Rei said after they finished. "I mean…it _can't_ be."

"I know it's hard to believe it, but it is true."

"You want me to believe that a gruesome place like the Abyss exists, and that people form _Contracts_ with those, what, Chains? And–oh god, this can't be. There's just no such thing."

"I'm sorry I had to spill it to you this way," Break said apologetically.

Sharon took her hand. "Rei, it's okay. I know you're very confused and frightened right now but you have to trust us. We want to help you, so can you tell us what happened in your world?"

Sharon was right. She had to tell that she was someone from two centuries in the future. If she didn't trust them, who else could she trust? Taking a deep breath, she let out everything.

"So yeah, I am actually from the future. From future Japan," Rei finished at the end. She didn't want to look at their expression. They were probably going to lock her up now, or throw her into the loony bin or kick her out of this mansion.

"That means you must have travelled through the Abyss…Break, you were right after all." Sharon said thoughtfully.

"I already figured as much from her strange clothes, Milady."

"Aren't you…aren't you gonna to say I'm crazy? I mean…I practically _time-travelled_." She gave a nervous laugh. "That's not exactly normal."

"Most Contractors who have travelled through the Abyss time-travel," Break's lips quirked up. "I myself did too. So it isn't surprising."

Her eyes widened. "_You_?"

"Yes, although I ended up in it for a different reason…Anyway, as I said about Illegal Contractors, they can be very dangerous. They have a seal in their chest, which looks like a clock. However, you do not have one."

"Huh? Oh right, come to think of it I don't…wait how did you know?"

"Well, I kind of saw something while the doctors were attending to you and I had to make sure you weren't an Illegal Contractor so…"

Her face went as red as a tomato. "You…you saw my chest?"

"It was appropriately bandaged…"

"You saw my chest."

"The seal," He corrected quickly.

"You...you pervert!"

"Hey, would you rather I asked that old geezer of a doctor to check instead?"

"Break, you could have asked me. Don't be such a fool next time." Sharon interjected.

"Yes, I'm sorry Milady."

Sharon rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry, he can be quite the idiot. Anyway your world, it would seem, is rather different from us."

"_Very_ different,"

Sharon hugged her impulsively.

"Don't worry. We'll do our best to help you. Meanwhile, you must stay with us as the world outside is very dangerous for you. You have to keep away from Pandora too as they are rather…'passionate' about anything related to the Abyss. I and Break are from Pandora, but we're not like them. If they know you are from the future, they might suspect you and even take you away. Especially Rufus Barma…" Sharon shuddered. "Anyway, I will tell you more tomorrow. You should rest now since I'm sure all the news must have tired you out."

"Alright, thank you. And thank you for everything."

Sharon smiled and squeezed her hand. "Just call me if you need anything."

Rei nodded gratefully. When they left, she sighed, burying her face in the soft pillow. She thought over her situation.

She had travelled through time. As impossible as it sounded, she had fell down a hole and was now stuck in a world where Chains, the Abyss and Contractors existed. She knew nothing of the dangers of this new world, nor did she have anyone now.

She was alone.

Completely, utterly _alone_.

Her chest felt like it had been hollowed out. It was such a familiar yet foreign feeling. When her parents had died at least she had had her aunt and her best friends, but now…

She tried to look at the brighter side. At least now she was safe, protected. Sharon and Break were going to help her.

She touched the heart-shaped locket she always wore around her neck, curling her fingers around it. It had her mother's picture in it and it had been the last gift from her. Holding it always made her feel better whenever she was sad and with that, she closed her eyes.

_Oh mom, what should I do..._

* * *

Poor Rei...i don't like to made her so sad either. Anyway **please click the review button below**! Reviews are always greatly appreciated! You can also tell me how to improve...etc(:


	5. Answers

A/N: Hello=^_^=Life's been pretty tough and crazy for but I'll try to update faster. I rewrote this chapter for like, literally 10, no 15, no…*counts* _20_times. Yup, 20. Freakin'. Times. I kept being unsatisfied with this or that part...urgh, sorry for the long wait. I hope this long chapter will 'redeem' me….somehow, someway...anyway. Again, reviews are always greatly appreciated. You can always tell me what to improve on, how's the story etc…(:

I'll let the Pandora Hearts crew take over the disclaimer.

Oz: I'll do it! *raises hand excitedly*

Alice: Shut up you stupid manservant, I should be the one!

Gilbert: Hey you baka usagi, don't talk to Oz like that!

Alice: WHAT YOU STUPID SEAWEED HEAD! *growls and looks at poor author* hey you! Do something about this idiot!  
Me: Oh forget it!*glares angrily* Disclaimer: Pandora Hearts does not belong to me.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Answers**

Rei was in a room.

It was brightly coloured, with cartoon paintings hanging on the walls. Toys littered the checkerboard floor and filled the shelves. A porcelain doll with a missing eye lay limply by her feet. Its other blue eye was staring at her.

Actually, _all_ the toys were staring at her.

When she walked further in they watched her every move, body rock still but eyeballs following.

"Where am I? W-what's going on?" She cried. There was no answer, only the toys staring at her.

Staring. Staring. Staring.

Some had a smile on their face, some looked brutality mutilated.

She sunk to the ground and her emotions crashed down on her. She was tired, so tired. How many rooms had she escaped into? Hundreds or thousands? She couldn't run anymore, couldn't escape from _her_.

Alyss' taunts echoed in her mind. _I told you, no matter where you go you'll never escape._

She was right. There was no way. She would never be able to escape the madness of this place, or her clutches. A door would only lead to another door, then another, then another…it was an endless, cruel cycle with no hope.

"Don't cry,"

She froze. The voice had sounded almost...mechanical. Her eyes rested on the single blue eye that was staring at her and she shrieked.

The doll had spoken.

It stood up; limbs jerking like it were controlled by strings. Its red lips moved stiffly as it said, "Not good. You shouldn't cry."

"That's right, don't cry."

This time it came from a tin man who behind her. Rei backed away, hardly believing her eyes. The toys were _talking_.

"Don't be afraid! We won't hurt you," A rag doll that had mutilated legs and was dragging herself to Rei with her arms joined in. More toys joined in.

"That's right! We're good toys! We're Alyss' _most_ treasured toys!"

"She loves us…she loves us very much."

"She loves us…"

"Come closer…It's seldom we have humans here... Let's have fun together…"

"Oh, but the Will of the Abyss doesn't like you."

"She will be angry..."

"That's right, she'll be angry, very angry..."

Rei stumbled backwards. All the toys had sprung into life now. Soon, an angry mass of toys was approaching her.

"Angry...very angry..."They chanted.

"Get away!" She cried, running to the exit. She flung the door open, but reeled back in shock. Right outside was a black bottomless pit, nothing at all. She choked back a scream when she realised the toys were now mere centimetres away.

"Alyss would be angry! SHE WOULD BE ANGRY!" They chanted. The toys were all furious, some opening their mouth to reveal sharp, pointed teeth. Rei stood paralyzed; there was no escape, nothing she could do anymore. She shut her eyes and awaited her fate.

Suddenly, she felt cold arms embrace her from behind. A warm breath brushed against her cheek. The toys gasped, "She's here! She's here….she has arrived…"

_Who_ was here?

Rei looked back and came face to face with a set of azure eyes. It belonged to a girl, floating in mid-air. She looked so familiar...with the flowing white hair, dress...and those eyes...

_The Will of the Abyss. _

"Don't be afraid...did my toys scare you? They're my precious treasures..."She said in that sickly sweet voice.

"The…the Will of the Abyss," Rei stammered.

"Ne, why are you here? "Alyss asked. She cupped Rei's cheeks gently. They were as cold as ice cubes. Rei shivered.

"Answer me, why are you here? Tell me…I SAID TELL ME!" The smile turned into a ferocious snarl and Rei cried in pain when Alyss's long fingernails dug into her cheeks. Blood spilled down. Her eyes were flashing in rage.

"Why, why...you shouldn't be here...you shouldn't exist. You're just a DISTURBANCE! I can't let you exist. You're going to ruin everything...EVERYTHING!"

"Disturbance! Disturbance!" The toys chanted angrily. They started to surround her…

"NOOO!"

Rei awoke with a scream and shot up from the bed. Her pillow was drenched in sweat and she realised she had been crying. She sat there for a few minutes.

It felt…so real. So utterly real and scary.

She buried her face in her shaking hands. The toys had looked so _mad_, like they wanted to kill her.

_Why did they call me a 'Disturbance'? Why would I ruin everything? What exactly would I ruin?_

Rei was so absorbed in her flurry of thoughts that she jumped when an uncomfortable cough sounded in front of her. A young woman stood in front of her bed. She was dressed in a French maid outfit she had only seen in cosplay events or old movies, with the frilly bonnet and stuff. She had mouse brown hair tied into a tight bun, grey eyes as light as rain and a fresh, pretty face. It was now scrunched with confusion and worry.

"Are you alright, Miss?" She asked. Her voice had a thick British accent.

Rei was speechless for a few seconds, wondering why there was a woman dressed in such weird clothes standing in front of her bed. Then everything snapped back to her.

Oh, that's right...she was still in the Rainsworth mansion. Her eyes darted around. Yup, still in the fancy room. Her heart tightened when she remembered she was now a few hundred years away from her world. She had sort of hoped it was all just a bad dream, but now obvious that she really _was_ stuck in the 18th century.

"Miss?"

"Oh, umm, I just had a nasty nightmare. I'm fine now, thank you." Rei replied with a forced smile. The maid nodded understandingly.

"I see. Anyway, we must hurry or we'll be late. It is now 8am and breakfast will be served in half an hour." The maid said and laid three beautiful dresses in front of Rei. "I have three dresses for you to choose from. Lady Sharon told me to give them to you."

Rei gaped. They were really exquisite–the first was a sky blue dress, the second was a maroon colour with intricate embroidery on the sleeves and corset and the third was a peach colour with jewels sewn on the hem.

She shook her head. "Oh no, I can't possibly..."

"Lady Sharon insisted that you have them. She says it's a gift for you."

"Well, alright...may I know where Sharon is?" Rei asked. The maid raised a brow.

"She is out for a meeting and won't be back till late morning. You should call her Lady Sharon, miss. I know you're one of the foreign guests they invited so it's not surprising you don't know the etiquette here but this is how we address her."

"Ah, I'm sorry but she said I could address her by her name so..."

"Hmm," The maid pursed her lips. "If that is so then it's okay then. You must be a close friend of hers."

Rei gave a faint smile. So she was now known as a foreign guest here. She wondered what else Sharon said…she knew she had to be careful even around the servants. She decided to change the subject before she let something slip.

"Right, may I know your name?"

"It's Elena." She smiled.

"I see, I'm Rei Kisagari," Rei said, returning the smile. She looked over the dresses for a while and then picked up the sky blue dress. "I think I'll wear this one."

The maid nodded and the next thing she knew, she was stripping off Rei's nightgown till she was left in her undergarments. Rei blushed madly, flinging her arms over her chest for some modesty.

_What the heck?_

Elena then threw the dress and layer after layer of undergarments over her head and started lacing them up. The whole lacing thing took ten minutes, and it was so _heavy_. The worst part was the corset, where Elena practically tightened it so hard the breath left her lungs.

_Oh gosh, how did those ladies in the past wear this thing? This is torture! _

"It's…so…tight…!" Rei panted.

"Good, it's supposed to be." Elena replied, oblivious to her suffering and continued tightening. Finally she stepped back. "Oh! Perfect, your waist looks so like a peanut now."

"Can I please wear back my old clothes?" She wheezed. The corset was practically suffocating her.

"You mean those…odd, immoral clothes?" She said with a frown.

Hah, immoral? They were certainly better than wearing something that could suffocate you to death. And she dreaded walking in such a heavy gown for the whole day.

"Yes, those,"

"Of course not. You cannot spend the day in those clothes, it would be unbelievable. Now let me finish with your dressing."

But when she was finally done, Rei admitted she looked kinda nice. The dress was a shimmering sky blue that felt deliciously silky on her skin, with white silk ribbons and frills at the hem and sweet-heart neckline. Intricate gold embroidery adorned the bodice and sleeves while the full-length skirt blossomed out from her tiny waist.

She was then directed to a chair by Elena. The maid grabbed a brush and started combing, or rather ripping her hair off. Rei bit her lips painfully. She then twisted her long golden blonde hair into a neat ponytail with a navy blue ribbon.

"_Woah_."

Rei could hardly recognise herself in the full-length mirror. She actually looked...pretty. It was such a stark contrast. The normal her usually wore casual clothes, jeans and a shirt and didn't pay much attention to her hair. Most days she would have a messy bun and leave it at that. But now…it was as though she had transformed into someone elegant with every bit of grace and style as a proper lady in this time.

"You look beautiful, Miss Rei." Elena complimented. Then she brought out a pair of high-heeled shoes from a box. "Now to complete the look,"

They were pearl white in colour, with a simple blue ribbon at the toe and laces to tie the shoe up to the ankles. They were beautiful. Rei, however, was dismayed.

"Wait, I can't..." Rei said as the maid grabbed her feet and slipped them on. She had never worn high heels in her life, _ever_. She wobbled unsteadily on the sky-high heels. This was so not going to work out.

"Do I really have to wear them?" She didn't want to sound fussy, but she knew one step and she'd fall flat on her face.

"You will be fine. Just take one step at a time."

Rei took a shaky step forward, feeling like she was balancing on those stilts clowns wore. She nearly fell but Elena steadied her just in time. She walked a bit more till she had a balance.

"Okay, okay. I think I get the hang of it." She said, gulping. She would have to get used to them one way or another, since she knew ladies in this time wore high-heels like normal everyday shoes.

"I'm sure you will. Now let's head down for breakfast."

Rei had never seen the other parts of the mansion before, and it was just as luxurious as her room. It was richly decorated with the grand staircase, marble floors and old paintings. There were probably a hundred other rooms in this huge place. It felt surreal to be in an actual Victorian-styled mansion. Man, her History teacher would be proud. Her lips quirked up in amusement.

_Maybe time travelling here isn't that bad…_

They arrived at a small room and Elena opened the large wooden doors. A white cloth-covered table was in the middle and a spread of delectable food lay upon it that would have made anyone's mouth water–piping hot pancakes topped with blueberries, scones, a bowl of fresh strawberries, golden brown butter croissants and a plate of toasts with ruby red strawberry jam.

She sat on the chair, gazing in awe.

There were two other maids at the side, probably the attendees. She felt embarrassed, unused to people waiting on her. She picked up a fork and took a bite of the pancake. It was soft with just the right amount of sweetness. She took a few more bites, but her mind was too distracted with other things.

_I need to find out what's going on. What the dreams mean, who that mysterious girl is. _

Answers. She needed answers. But how was she going to find them?

_"…I have travelled through the Abyss as well."_

Her eyes widened when a part of yesterday's conversation flashed in her mind. The person who said that was that silver-haired man. The servant of Sharon…the person who had found her…

_Xerxes Break?_

She hesitated. He had travelled through the Abyss. So he had to know something right?

He was probably the only one that could help her. But then again, she didn't really know him. They first time she had met him, she had thought he was a freak. Maybe But there was something about him that made her sense that he was someone deeper, someone who knew more. She couldn't quite a put a finger around it. After con contemplating for a long while, she made up her mind.

_I have to try. Even if it's just a small chance, I'll never know until I try._

She put the fork down and stood up. She was going to find him, and ask him about the Abyss.

It hadn't occurred to her _how_ exactly she was going to find the silver haired man. She had no idea where his room was. In her anxiety and hope, she had forgotten about the little details.

Oh, _crap_.

She didn't even know where she was now. She was standing in this long deserted hallway, with paintings of the sea hanging on the walls and some small cupboards lined against them. This was the second one she had crossed. Or was it the third? She was completely lost in this maze-like place. She had wanted to ask for directions, but the only people that she met were servants and she was afraid they might suspect something. Now she really regretted it.

"Great, just great," She mumbled. She decided to retrace her steps to find anyone who could help. The hallway was eerily silent, and for a long moment there was nothing but the sound of her footsteps when suddenly…

"Bang!"

Rei shrieked at that noise, and saw the cupboard door beside her slam open. She stared in disbelief as a man emerged from the tiny space.

_What the..?_

It was Xerxes! He stood up, and grinned.

"Y-you..!" She could only point at him, mouth agape. The grin widened, as though enjoying her shock.

"My name Xerxes Break, if you still remember. But you can just call me Break." He introduced himself all in the world as though he had strolled in here normally.

"You...you just...just popped out of nowhere!"

"Through the cupboard actually,"

"How did you…how is that even…_what the hell_?"

"Language, young missy,"

She stared at the tiny space. "Are you always this weird?"

Break was now doubling over in laughter. "That's for you to find out! I see I've scared you."

"You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Rei said, glaring. "How did you even do that? It's not humanly possible."

"Ah, of course, of course, We must be..._human_ to do such things right?" He said with an ambiguous chuckle. "My apologies Miss Rei,"

"Never mind," She said. Then she remembered why she was searching for Break in the first place. "Actually, I wanted to find you."

"Oh, why is that?"

"I had some questions and I was hoping that you could…umm, help me."

"Hmm, is that so?" Break tapped his chin. "Well then, follow me."

He led her up a staircase to a hallway with many rooms. They stopped at the middle one which was significantly larger than the others and he opened the door for her.

"Welcome to my office~"

It was large and spacious room, with wooden walls and flooring. There was a large oak table and a glass door which lead to a balcony behind it. On the table were several stacks of paper, neatly piled up. There were also some shelves filled with books.

"Come," He said. Rei followed the man to the open balcony. There was a table and chairs there, and it overlooked the garden. She sat down and Break disappeared back into the office. He emerged with a desert cart filled with cakes and sweets.

"Want some?" He asked.

"It's okay,"

"You should eat. You probably were too distracted to eat this morning, no?"

"…thanks." She said, accepting a slice of chocolate cake. He poured a cup of tea for her as well and Rei couldn't help but blink. It was so…_gentlemanly. _She could never really get used to the gentlemanly etiquette of this time, compared to her modern world. She almost snorted when she tried to picture her guy classmates bowing, holding the door open or serving tea to her. Man, times really changed.

"So tell me, what is it you would like to ask?" He asked through a mouthful of cake. Rei sipped the tea, liking the rose scent.

"You said you travelled through the Abyss. Can you tell me how it is like?"

"I had thought you would find me today." He said with a wry smile. Rei was surprised. "But of course, you would naturally want answers for all the things that have been happening."

"Sitting and doing nothing about this...makes me feel uneasy." She said with a shrug.

"No, no, don't worry~ its fine; I don't mind answering your questions. We also need to ask you a lot of things too," He laughed. "So about the Abyss...there have been several recounts. Some have said it resembles a broken toy box, while others say it is like prison. I cannot be certain for sure."

"But weren't you there?" Rei asked.

"I was, but I was thrown into the deepest level of the Abyss." He said without a flicker of emotion.

"_The deepest level_?"

"Yes. But it wasn't terrifying or anything. It was just a room filled with toys. It looked almost ordinary, really, but then strange things started to happen." He leaned forward, as though sharing a secret. "Tell me Rei, have you met the Will of the Abyss?"

Rei stiffened.

"Is she the one with white hair, azure eyes and wears a white dress?" She asked hesitatingly. Break looked surprised for a second.

"So you have met her."

Rei shook her head.

"More like dreams of her. I had them before coming here. They were reoccurring…over and over."

Break sipped his tea. "Can you tell me what they were about?"

"There was once I saw her in a dark place and she was on the ground sobbing. She was clutching a pair of scissors and bleeding. She said she was Alyss. I don't know…it was so bizarre." Rei said, shaking her head. She was surprised when Break gave her an understanding look.

"I see…what were the others like?"

She told him about the other nightmares, including the most recent one. Break looked more piqued at that one.

"Disturbance, huh…" He said as he cut a slice of cake into halves with the fork.

"What does that even mean? Why is the Will of the Abyss so angry at me? What did I do? Why do I keep having those nightmares?" She asked, her fingers clenching her skirt in frustration.

"Maybe you have some...connection with her. A sort of bond. Acutally,I had been doing some research last night after what you said and this is what I think," Break said, popping the halved slice into his mouth. "Have you ever heard of the Tragedy of Sablier?"

She shook her head.

"The city of Sablier was once the capital city here. However 100 years ago, the head of the Baskerville dukedom, Glen Baskerville, used a ritual to send the entire city with its citizens, into the Abyss for unknown reasons."He explained.

"The Baskerville dukedom? You mean there are dukedoms other than the Rainsworth one?"

"Yes. Currently the main ones are the Rainsworth, Barma, Nightray and Vessalius dukedoms."

"So everyone died because of that...one man?" She asked, stunned. Break nodded.

"The very reason why you appeared here was because of this mysterious hole right? But it couldn't just appear with no reason. What I think is that the Tragedy of Sablier had something to do with this. When the Tragedy occurred, an enormous amount of people were sent to the Abyss all at once. As much as the Abyss is powerful, it has a limit to how much it can contain." Break explained. "Furthermore, the Will of the Abyss, who controls the whole of Abyss, was thrown into immense pain when it had happened. At that time, the Abyss probably couldn't contain everything and thus 'cracked'. These cracks probably surfaced in your world in the form of a hole just as you were standing there and thus you fell into it."

Rei listened to his explanation, shocked. The past her would have thought he was uttering rubbish, but now she knew this world was stranger than she had thought. Still, this was just…

"But...how? My present world is so many centuries into the future when it happened."

"The Abyss is a place where time and space doesn't flow, remember? If the Abyss really did 'crack', the cracks could appear anywhere, at any time. And it just so happened to appear at where you were."

Rei looked at the tea which had now gone cold. Break looked at her patiently. So what she fell into...was the cracks that the Abyss had made after the Tragedy of Sablier? But one more thing troubled her.

"But then, why did the Will of the Abyss call me a disturbance?" She asked.

"Hmm, I'm not entirely sure about that but...from what you told me, the Will of the Abyss didn't know why or how you came here. If that is so then...this will be very bad." Break said grimly. Rei felt a chill down her spine. The way he said 'very bad' sounded more than just...bad. "The only way to travel through time and space is through the Abyss, and the Will of the Abyss knows every single being that has made a Contract and passed it. But you, you travelled through the Abyss not because you made a Contract, but because you fell through a crack of it. Thus the Will has no inkling of your existence."

"What does my existence have to do with…anything?"

"You see, you're not supposed to be here. Everything, your very _existence_ here was just an accident. The only way to travel through time is to form a Contract with a Chain, but you didn't. This way, if you continue to exist here the time and space of the Abyss will gradually become in disorder and unstable because they transported someone from the future who didn't form a Contract yet. And when the Abyss is unstable the flow of time and space of everything will soon change. That is why the Will of the Abyss called you a 'disturbance'. She will start to notice who the disturbance is sooner or later and when that happens…things won't be very good." Break said grimly.

Rei swallowed at the news. Her heart was beating very fast and her face was pale. She was a 'disturbance' to the Abyss. From what he said, her existence here could just…throw the Abyss into disorder? So all along that was why the Will of the Abyss was so angry at her? This was too much for her.

She stood up shakily, knuckles clenching the chair till they were white.

"Are you okay?" He asked, frowning at how distraught she looked.

"I'm fine." She snapped, then her voice changed to a softer one. "I'm sorry; I just…need some time to take it in. Thank you though."

"Don't mention it. Here, take this! It should cheer you up." He whipped out a rainbow lollipop from nowhere and handed it to her.

"Thanks. Excuse me," She said and left.

Break plopped back on his chair, gazing at the girl's retreating form. In truth, he had only done some research last night and thought that the Abyss becoming unstable was just a theory he came up with. But after what she said about the nightmares, he had a dreaded feeling that it may become true. And if that was true, the Will of the Abyss would soon notice the disturbance and eventually try to eliminate it at all costs. The Interference, Rei. No one could predict the future, but what he knew was that they were going to protect Rei, as what Sharon had fiercely told him.

Unwrapping another lollipop, Break popped it in his mouth and turned his gaze to the bright morning sky.

Things were change from now on, whether they liked it or not and maybe...maybe there would be hope. There would be.

* * *

A/N: …I'm so tired now. It's like, 2...in the freaking morning…Urgh. I'm so exhausted. Sorry if Break seemed OOC, I had difficulty writing him since he's such a complex character. Anyway the review button is below, so please click it and tell me what you think and give some tips! **PLEASE REVIEW** because reviews really always make my day…=^_^=


	6. Tumble Down like a Pack of Cards

A/N: …Hello. Yeap, I'm still here. happy new month and all that. Sorry with the long update, I hope you haven't forgotten this story! *bows* Things have been really crazy in my life so far. Like really crazy. Exams, parents, life…what can I say? But really sorry! I actually wrote this chapter a few months ago, but at the last minute I decided to change and re-write it again. I've been trying to make my chapters longer, so I hope you'll like this one…

Disclaimer:

Gilbert: *clears throat* Pandora Hear-

Alice: *pushes Gilbert away* It's my turn, you stupid seaweed head!

Gilbert: What!

Me: _There they go again…_

Alice: Go away! Anyway, Pandora Hearts doesn't belong to snowdreams, except her weird story ideas.

Me: Hey!

Enjoy(:

* * *

**Chapter 6: Tumble Down like a Pack of Cards**

After the talk with Break, Rei had fled to her room, her heart thumping wildly against her chest. Though outside she looked composed, her mind a place of chaos. She didn't know if she could take it if she heard another word. Every part of her wanted to reject what Break had just said.

She was a Disturbance. Her existence here was wrong. She could throw the Abyss into disorder. Some Will of the Abyss person wanted to kill her.

This was not happening.

This _couldn't_ be happening.

_I have to get out of here_, Rei thought suddenly, stopping in the middle of the hallway._I have to get out of this-crazy place. That's right, it's probably just this mansion and the clown that are crazy. Maybe they're nutcases who made this whole thing up. I have to get out of here and find someone who knows what the hell is going on._

Overtaken by panic, she turned back on her heels and hurried down the stairs, ignoring the curious looks of the servants as she made her way to the mansions' big entrance gates.

She was halfway there when a carriage rolled up in front of her, pulled by a pair of sturdy brown horses.

"Is there somewhere you would like to go, Miss?" The driver, a stout middle-aged man with a friendly face called from his seat behind the horses. She stared for a long moment, like really stared, at the carriage.

"Miss?"

"I…" Rei stopped, realizing she had no idea. Somewhere with people. Lots of people. They would probably be able to give her a telephone or something. "Umm, what is the nearest town from here?"

"That would be the central town."

"Then there, please."

The driver nodded and helped her into the carriage. _I can't believe I'm actually going to ride in a real carriage. An actual horse-drawn carriage._

"Umm, so how long is it to town?" She inquired as she settled on the plush seats.

"About an hour,"

An hour. She took a deep breath to calm herself. The ride was long and rough, the bumps making her nauseous. Most of the time all she saw through the windows was trees, a few carriages passing by and servants. No cars, or bus-stops, or any modern thing.

She swallowed. Choruses of '_how can this be?'_ and '_this is impossible'_ swam in her head. Ever since she arrived, nothing made sense, not her nightmares, not the Chains, not the Abyss, not anything. Gods, was it so hard to ask for some normalcy for once?

Memories of her own world filled her mind and a lump formed in her throat. She never knew she'd miss home this much, or even her aunt.

An hour later, the carriage stopped with an abrupt jerk and her head snapped up.

"We're here," The driver declared. They had stopped at the entrance of a busy, lively town. When the driver helped her down, she gaped.

The people bustling about were all wearing old-fashioned clothes of all types and colours, from rags to plain calico dresses to elaborate Victorian-styled ones and neat suits. Rich women all walked about with fancy hairdo, and harmonious laughter and shrieks from a group of children playing filled the air. A pleasant aroma of freshly baked bread from a bakery wafted to her nose, along with a scent of fresh flowers sold by a peasant girl nearby.

"Will you be alright from here?" The driver asked

"Umm, yes, thank you very much." Rei replied, eyes still glued to the sight. The driver bowed and left.

She forced her other thoughts away. Okay, first step, find something, anything that she could call with. It was a very slim chance, but oh to hell with making sense of a world that doesn't make sense in the first place.

She tried the first store nearest to her, a shop selling shoes and asked for a telephone but all she got was a weird stare. She went to the second and third, but they either gave her a similar reaction or just shook their heads.

_Okay, so maybe they're just not very friendly. But I can't give up like this,_Rei thought. With renewed determination, she pressed on.

* * *

"Break?"

Break turned and saw Sharon approaching him. He was with Liam, and they had been discussing about the recent surge in Chain attacks.

"Milady," He greeted while Liam bowed.

"Have you seen Rei?" She asked quickly.

"Rei? You mean the foreign guest?" Liam remarked.

"Yes,"

"I haven't seen her since morning," Break replied, frowning at the concern etched on the young girl's face. "What's wrong Milady? You look flustered."

"I-I can't find her, Break. She wasn't in her room so I thought she was with you but…"

"There's nothing to worry about. She's probably touring around the mansion~"

Sharon shook her head. "I checked already but she wasn't anywhere. I'm really worried. I know things have been hard on her but…"

Just then a servant stopped by. "Ah, could you possibly be talking about the new guest here?"

"Yes, do you know where she is?"

"I saw her leaving the mansion in a carriage not too long ago."

"She left the mansion?"

"Yes. Come to think of it, she looked rather strange…"

A look of realization dawned on Break's face and he sucked in a sharp breath. "Oh no,"

"Do you know where she was headed?" Sharon pressed on anxiously.

"I'm not sure young missy, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, thank you," Sharon said and the servant left. She brought a hand to her chest. "Where could Rei have gone?"

"I think I know." Break whispered.

"Where?"

"Town,"

Liam gasped. "But there was a recent surge in Chain attacks there, if she went there…"

"What? Why would she go there?" Sharon cried.

"The research I did last night, I told her about it because she was looking for answers. I thought she could handle it but…." Break bit his lip.

"Oh no, Break, we have to find her-"

"I know, I'll bring her back Milady," Break was already running down the hallway, mentally cursing himself for being so stupid.

After countless stores and the same response, Rei had reached the end of the town.

_I'm such an idiot_, she thought miserably.

Just then, the sound of sobbing caught her attention. She saw a girl dressed in rags huddled in a lone corner. Her plaited brown hair was straggly and her bony shoulders shook with each sob.

The few passers-by in the area didn't take a single notice at her and Rei hesitated before approaching her.

"Are you alright?" She asked gently.

"I-I…" Her voice was lost in the hiccups.

"Where are your parents? Are you lost?"

She cried harder. "T-they're gone. I lost them…"

"Don't worry, we'll find them together okay?"

"No, they're gone. They're gone forever. I-I have to save them…"

Her words struck a chord in Rei. She wiped the girl's tears gently. "What happened?"

"Died…in an accident. I have to save them. I need to get back mommy and daddy…"

"It's okay, just calm down…" Rei started. The poor girl looked like she was on the brink of a nervous breakdown.

Her voice turned high and panicky. "No, please, I don't want this anymore!"

Rei reached out to the girl but she stumbled away. "G-Go away, GO AWAY!"

Suddenly, there was a terrific tremble that shook the earth. Rei watched in horror as dark shadows started to form on the ground. A huge green centipede emerged from the pooling black mass. It had razor-sharp teeth and claws protruding from lanky arms.

Its blood red eyes only screamed one thing.

_Hunger. Hunger. Want more, want lost more. Have to satisfy this hunger. Want to devour everything till I'm full…_

Rei forced down the contents of her breakfast that was quickly rising up her throat. Sharon had never shown her the pictures, but she recognized what it was immediately.

A Chain.

All around her, the town was in disarray, people fleeing. The cacophony of screams nearly deafened her ears.

Rei snapped back into reality with a jolt. She grabbed the girl's bony hand. "Come on, we have to go!"

"No!" The girl shouted, pulling her hand away.

"What are you doing? We have to leave or we'll be killed!"

The girl shook her head. There was a glimmer of guilt in her eyes that confused Rei. "I…I can't."

"Why?"

She moved to stand by the Chain and that was when it finally hit Rei.

_It can't be…she is a Contractor?_

"Humans…I need humans…" The Chain growled.

"But we've already taken so any…"

"Shut up! If you want to get back your parents you do as I say! Now find me a human!"

The girl threw Rei a guilty look. "I'm-I'm sorry…"

The Chain followed her eyes and grinned.

"Look what we have here? A nice young lady. You'll be my perfect meal!"

Rei choked back a scream as the creature slithered towards her. Her first instinct was to escape into the town, but it would only hurt the townspeople. The only place left was the forest exit in front of her and the Chain was right smack in the middle of it. It was a risk she had to take.

She picked up the hems of her skirt and made a beeline to her left. The Chain followed, screeching. At the last moment however, she suddenly turned on her heels and headed to the exit instead. As hoped, the Chain was caught off-guard and she managed to reach the exit.

Her heels clacked madly against the forest ground as she ran, but her long skirt was weighing her down. The Chain was soon right behind her, slamming down trees like it was made of paper. With another turn, a clearing appeared in her view.

"Ugh!" Rei hissed as she tripped over a dead branch. Her knees skidded past the rocky ground painfully.

"Got you, little lady!"

Her breath halted at her throat. The Chain. It was right behind her now. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the blow.

A shriek pierced the air. And then there was silence.

…_Eh?_

Slowly, she looked behind. The centipede had staggered away, and was clutching its now missing left arms.

"You really should have better taste, Chain."

_That voice…_ Rei's eyes widened in disbelief. The familiar silver-haired man was standing in front of the Chain, with his sword drawn and looked extremely bored. _Break!_

"What did you say?" The Chain demanded.

"My, my, you should learn some manners~" Break reprimanded. The Chain was pathetically weak, so he wouldn't have to use the Mad Hatter. Good, because he didn't want to scare the girl anymore.

"_I'll_ teach you some manners!" The Chain seethed. It swiped at Break but he dodged it easily, leaping into the air. Sweeping his sword in one smooth arc, he sliced off the Chain's head. The body toppled to the ground, leaving a pained, pitiable scream in its wake.

Silence descended on the clearing once more.

"Miss Rei!" He sheathed his sword, knelt in front of the girl and quickly scanned her. Other than her torn skirt, she didn't seem to have any injury. He let out a shaky breath he didn't know he had been holding and closed his eyes for a few seconds, willing his heart to stop thumping madly against his chest. It wasn't good for an old man like him. But she was clearly still shaken, her eyes still fixed on the body of the Chain and her skin a few shades too pale.

"Miss Rei? Miss Rei," He called again but she didn't seem to hear. Break felt guilty. No, he felt worse. Weird, because he only felt guilty with Sharon but he pushed it away focus on the more important thing at hand.

"Rei," Calling her by her name sounded strangely intimate but he didn't care. He cupped her cheek gently, hoping to garner some response.

Rei's mind was a complete blank. Slowly, however, she became aware of a cool hand resting on her cheek.

…_Break? _

With that, she snapped out of her reverie. "Oh my god, Break!"

"Finally you're back."

"That…that creature…!"

"Yes, it was a Chain," He said grimly. "Are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine," She stood up, only to hiss when pain swarmed her skinned knee.

Break's eye widened when he saw the wound. "You're injured."

"It's just a small wound, I'll be alright."

"No can do, Sharon will kill me if I leave it like that~"

He tore off a small strip of fabric from his undershirt and wrapped it around her knee as a make-shift bandage. His movements were swift yet gentle. There was a long silence between them as he did his work.

"I'm sorry," Rei said, biting her lip.

"Hmm? Why~?"

"I was being stupid, reckless. I wanted to take things in my own hands. I thought I could find a way home."

"You were in a state of shock, and frankly that was hardly your fault."

She shook her head. "I just couldn't accept what you said. I even thought you were crazy..."

To her surprise, Break laughed. It was not like his fake ones but a genuine one, like silver bells. It sounded…_nice_. "No worries, I get that a lot. But I should be the one to apologize. I told you so many things without sparing a thought of your feelings."

She shook her head. "It's okay, I wanted to know anyway. I guess some part of me desperately needed to get some answers, yet another part of me couldn't accept it when I heard it. It's just so hard to believe it, the fact that Chains, the Abyss…all these things are actually _real_."

"They are. Anyway, don't be so hard on yourself. You're not as bad compared to me. When I came into this time my reaction was even worse than yours."

She blinked. "Why?"

"When I arrived in this time, only to find that half a century had passed, I couldn't accept it either. Many things changed in that time," Break noted, smiling distantly. "You would have been amazed at how I was, frustrated at every new thing or invention. But for you to travel back two centuries, I can only imagine the shock you'd feel…"

"But I…"

"You're strong, Miss Rei. Well, stronger than you give credit for. Don't end up like me,"

Just when she opened her mouth to ask what he meant, he finished the bandage with a ribbon and said, "There! Not the best but it should do for now~"

She couldn't help but smile. "That's so cute."

"What?"

"The ribbon. I think it's the first time someone has tied me one on a bandage."

"Ah, it's just a little habit of mine…" He cleared his throat embarrassingly. "Anyway, we should go." He then slid his arms below her knees and back, surprising her.

"W-what are you doing?"

"Clearly I'll need to carry you since you can't walk," He pointed out with a grin. "Or that will be very ungentle-manly of me wouldn't it?"

"What? L-Let me go…I can walk just fine!" Her face was pressed against his chest, mercifully hiding her deepening blush.

"No can do~"

Rei opened her mouth to protest, but they were already nearing town, where a carriage awaited them.

She bit her lip. "What about that girl just now? She's a Contractor right?"

"An Illegal Contractor, to be more specific."

"Will she be…dragged back into the Abyss?"

"Nope, she's free. Once a Chain has died their Contract is broken. But Pandora might bring her for questioning."

"She told me she had to save her parents…"

"People become Contractors so that they can change their past. I guess that was what she was trying to do."

"But in the process so many people are killed. Is it really worth it, in the end?"

"Sometimes, losing a loved one can cloud our best judgments. We may even make foolish choices in that moment of desperation and sadness. It can't be helped."

Rei thought about her parent's death, and how it had thrown her into a pit of depression. Had she known what was right or wrong at that time? Had she even bothered? "Yeah, I know how that feels."

"You do?"

"My parents died in a car accident two years ago."

There was a pause.

"…I'm sorry," Break said finally.

"No, it's okay. I've gotten over it."

"I never knew that. I mean, you look rather cheerful most of the time."

"Sometimes, people smile to hide their wounds, their sorrows. So when people smile all the time, it doesn't necessarily mean they're happy. Just like you."

He cocked a brow. "Like me?"

She nodded. "You smile and laugh all the time, but somehow I always don't feel like its real."

"Why of course its real~ why would you think otherwise?"

"I don't know how to describe it. Sometimes I catch a glimpse, but most of the time…you distance yourself. People may think you're just being your usual annoying chirpy self, but at the bottom of it I feel that you're just trying to push yourself away. It's like you're there but…not really _there_." She was frowning, confused or frustrated.

Break was getting uncomfortable. Her words struck every truth in him, and it was terrifying because he had never met someone who managed to see pass him. But he couldn't afford to let his mask slip, couldn't afford to drop anything now. So instead he opted for a, "That's such an insightful speech, you would make a great gypsy. I can picture you in a magic tent!"

She scowled. "That's not funny."

He chuckled. "But alas, I am not what you think. I'm happy and that's what it's always going to be~"

Rei sighed, totally unconvinced. "Oh well, whatever you say you stupid clown."

She closed her eyes, resting her head tiredly against his chest. It was surprisingly warm and firm. On the outside, Break could have fooled everyone with his smiles and jokes. But she could always sense coldness inside, something she couldn't explain. She wanted to figure it out, but she would wait.

"Hey, clown?"

"Yes, Miss Rei?"

"Thank you." She said sincerely. "For saving me,"

Break smiled. "You're welcome."

* * *

There was a commotion of course, when they returned. Sharon fussed over Rei, treating her wound with disinfection and a proper bandage. Rei apologized for making her worry, but Sharon just hugged her and said it was okay. That was before Sharon realized Break had been carrying her in his arms and went into an excited squealing fit. It took many (unsuccessful) attempts to squash whatever thoughts Sharon was conjuring up in her mind.

But soon late at night, Rei was slipping on into her nightgown, eager to go to bed. The soft feathery bed never felt nicer on her tired body. She couldn't wait to just close her eyes and sink into a deep sleep…wait, why was there something hard beside her? She turned, and shrieked.

Break was stretched out beside her, twirling a lollipop in his hand and flashing his trademark grin on his face.

"Break!" She exclaimed.

"Why hello~"

"What the hell–"

"Ladies shouldn't use coarse words.' He teased.

"That's not the point! Why are you in my bed?"

"Why not?"

"Is there anything you need?" She asked tiredly.

"Nothing much, just very bored~"

"Go talk to Emily or something…"

"Emily doesn't want to talk to me..."

"Break, it's two in the morning. You need to sleep, unless you're not human."

"I don't think I am."

"Damn right about that," She mumbled. There was a pause. "Are you going to move?"

"Hmm, but this bed is so comfy~"

"Oh whatever," Rei slid under the covers beside the clown, but stopped when he still didn't budge. She raised a brow. "Seriously?"

"Today was quite an adventure for you, wasn't it?"

"Umm...it was," Rei raised a brow at the abrupt change in subject. "But there'll be more in the future. If I want to find a way back home, and considering that the Will of the Abyss will be out for me if she finds out I'm here, I should be expecting it."

"True. But don't worry, Sharon and I will protect you."

"I know, but I can't rely on you guys all the time. Those Chains are bound to attack again, and you won't be able to protect me every time."

"I will, Miss Rei." Break said seriously, his wine red eye boring into her jade green ones. "I will protect you."

Something fluttered in her chest and she swallowed. "…thank you."

"You've been thanking me a lot."

"Well, if you don't like it…"

"I didn't say that, in fact I think it's rather cute~"

"Idiot," She rolled her eyes. There was a momentary silence. "Are you going to move or not?"

"Nope,"

"Oh whatever perverted clown," She muttered, tugging the blanket closer to her. It was hard to fall asleep though, with the earlier Chain attack still fresh on her mind.

"You are troubled," Break commented. He was now lying on his back, eye peering blankly at the ceiling.

"Yeah," She admitted.

"Tell me about it."

"It's just…I keep thinking about that girl. She was so young yet she lost her family. She probably had no one to turn to at that time. I feel really sad for her…"

"At least she made it out alive and wasn't dragged into the Abyss. She will live her own life without that monster now."

"Yeah..."

Dragged into the Abyss. How many, just how many had lost their lives like that already? How many had fallen prey to the sadness in their hearts? Adults or even little children…all of them could be potential Illegal Contractors.

She sighed. "I'm tired. If there's nothing else, I'm going to sleep."

There was a pause before he said, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, my knee's much better now…"

"No, I meant here," He laughed, tapping his head. "Mentally."

Another time she would have thought he was teasing her, but his tone was still serious. She wondered how he managed to do that, looking funny yet managing to sound serious at the same time. Another of his weird traits. Yeah, I will be. With Sharon…and you, even though you're an annoying clown, I think things will be fine …" Rei closed her eyes and a soft smile crossed her face.

Break opened his mouth to reply but realised that she had already fallen asleep.

_She must have been really exhausted_, Break thought. Unwrapping a piece of candy, he popped it into his mouth and let his gaze fall on the sleeping girl. She had a peaceful, innocent expression on her face as she slept, her long blond hair framing her elfin-like face. She wasn't someone meant to fight. She had lived her whole life living in a world where monsters were just bed-time stories, but now everything was going to be different for her. Danger, he knew, would be something unavoidable in her new journey to return home. But the mere thought of her injured…

Ever since they had returned, his mind had been replaying the moment when the Chain had raised its claw at her in the forest–the split second when he thought she was actually going to die.

His heart had almost stopped.

If he had arrived just a bit later, Rei would have…no, he couldn't even think about that.

_What's wrong with me?_ Break thought, bewildered. Xerxes Break never felt that way. He never cared for anyone except for the Rainsworth family, but this was something entirely different. Since when did he start to care for the girl? From the beginning she was just a case he was interested in and Sharon's friend, nothing more. Yet he felt this overwhelming need to protect her.

_You're a fool, Break. You really don't know where you're heading, do you?_ A voice in his mind mocked. Kevin. Somewhere, he still lived in his sub consciousness, refusing to fade away.

_No, but it doesn't seem so bad._Break thought.

_You've fallen for her, haven't you?_Kevin said.

Break stiffened. _Don't be ridiculous. She's Sharon's friend, so I'm helping her. Simple as that._

He could hear Kevin's biting amusement in his voice. _Is it? Are you sure you're not lying to yourself?_

_You're one to talk, _Break said.

_What makes you so sure you can protect her just like Sharon, Break?_

_No, to be honest,_ Break leaned against the headboard. His smile was gone, eyes lowered as he brushed a stray golden strand from the sleeping girl's face. _I want to protect her much more than anything else._

* * *

A/N: Ah, looks like something is finally happening with our favourite clown huh?*hints**hints* This chapter focuses more on Rei's feelings, because I'm the kind who really wants my readers to understand my character's emotions (although I'm not that good at it but I try!), so forgive me if the pace is slow (let me know if you think it is).

Moving on, I think I have a habit of re-writing chapters like, a hundred times (okay I'm exaggerating). It's bad but I can't help it:/ Do any of you have this annoying habit or is it just me? O.O The next update will probably take longer, because frankly I'm failing many subjects so I need to keep up with schoolD: But I'll try my best ;)

Anyway, please, please review! CLICK THAT BUTTON BELOW, YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO~ you have no idea how happy reviews make me…even if my day is a crappy one your reviews (whether good or bad) would cheer me up instantly, whether good or bad XD So please review! _xoxo, snowdreams_


	7. Paradoxical Emotions

A/N: This chapter is longer than usual, so I hope you'll like it. I re-did this chapter and it is unbeta-ed so please forgive any glaring errors.

Enjoy(:

* * *

**Paradoxical Emotions**

You'd think that an 18th century world, without any form of modern gadgets like MP3s or laptops would bore the crap out of any 21st century person. But it was the exact opposite for Rei. Being here, without having to face the pressure of school or her alcoholic aunt was like a breath of fresh air for her. For once, she could pass a day in peace.

She wasn't tripping over her heels anymore and she had gotten the hang of utensil skills, though etiquette was tedious. 'Proper' language, it seemed, was important and Rei's tongue sometimes slipped. Other than that she enjoyed most of her days with Sharon, who was like a bubble of delight. In their spare time they'd do stuff like visit the marketplace, go shopping, or just sit and have a nice chat. The recent Chain attack at central town had caused some concern so Break was mostly out settling the Pandora matters or finding a way for her to get back to her time.

Of course, she helped as well. Her dreams were mostly repetitive now, reminding her of only one thing:

She didn't belong here.

And deep down, Rei knew it was true. She had to find a way return home, make things right.

She did most of her research in the vast Reinsworth library, sitting between the rows of bookcases or bringing piles of books about the Abyss, Chains and history of the dukedoms to her room to read to understand this world better.

The library was magnificent, with mahogany-panelled walls, cream carpeted floors, an orange-lit crystal chandelier that hung from the ceiling, a fireplace, and open glass windows that gave a lovely view of the forest beside the mansion. Rei, being an avid bookworm, fell in love with the place.

Days slowly rolled into a week, and a day wouldn't be a day if a certain someone didn't piss her off.

Which he did. Very, _very_ frequently.

Rei was sure Break was clinically insane. He _had_ to be some psycho that escaped from a mental hospital, because he was so infuriating!

He popped out at random places at random times, from under her bed to a drawer to a tree or to a teapot (yes, teapot), often scaring the living crap out of her. She lost count of how many times she had shrieked or jumped.

And each time he'd burst out laughing like it was a freaking joke. If looks could kill, he would have died under her glare long ago. She had taken it lightly at first, but after he kept doing it everyday, she got frustrated. Couldn't he talk to her normally for once? He held a conversation fine with Sharon and everyone else, but seemed bent to just tease her.

_Asshole_, Rei wanted to scream when he scared her for the 7th time that afternoon in the middle of lunch and caused her to spill her tea. Of course, being a 'lady' she held back and Break gave that _smirk_, like he knew she couldn't do it and he was enjoying every bit of it. She was glad he had a thin neck, because all she wanted to do was clamp her fingers around it and strangle him.

"You are such a...such a douche!" She spat instead.

Break sat on his hunches on the tea table, grinning like a canary. "I'm sorry, what was I? A pooch?"

"_A douche_,"

"Pooch?"

"I said douche you idiot!"

"What?"

"Ugh Break can't you stop making fun of me for once?"

He pouted. "But it's fun!"

"Break, no sane person likes to be shocked out of their wits 24/7. And you do exactly that. Like when I'm eating, or talking or about to freaking sleep and you're suddenly beside me–"

"What's wrong with that?"

"_It. Is. Annoying_."

He pouted. "I thought you liked it."

"No I don't."

"Alright I'll get new ideas~"

"That's not the point!"

"Then how am I supposed to have fun with you?"

"YOU DON'T! NOT EVERDAY!"

"Of course I have to! It'll be boring otherwise."

"Ugh why do you aim only me?" She groaned.

"Because you're so cute, Miss Rei, especially your reactions~"

"So what, we can't even talk?"

"Talk? Aren't we doing that right now?"

She threw her hands up with an exasperated sigh. "You're unbelievable."

"Why thank you,"

"It wasn't a compliment."

"I know," He grinned. "Well now I bid you adieu~"

With a laugh, he hopped below the table and vanished.

_Idiot_.

That pretty much summed up Rei's life in the Reinsworth mansion, with a nice friend and a whackjob of a clown.

* * *

One fine day, Sharon decided to show her one of her finer skills: needlepoint. They were in a room painted a sunny yellow, Snow curled in her lap.

Rei sucked at sewing. It took her ten minutes just to get the damn needle threaded, and then it fell off again.

"Oh, this is so annoying," she muttered. Last night had been nightmare-plagued and she had woken up screaming and sick in the stomach. The bright colour of the room hurt her eyes too. Sharon, however, was guiding her with the patience of an angel. Rei was licking the end of the thread rather unglamorously to straighten it out when Break strolled in.

He swooped to a bow to the both of them. "Milady, you said you wanted to ride outside the mansion today?"

"Oh, yes! I was thinking of bringing Rei along too. I have heard she loves horses."

Rei was about to open her mouth to give a quick, _No thanks_, but Break beat her to it.

"That's a great idea!" He smiled like a cat who was about to get his big toy. "Absolutely delightful,"

"But I don't know how to ride horses." Rei protested.

"Break will show you the ropes," Sharon assured.

"Yes, I have heard I am a great teacher~"

She tried to picture Break teaching her to ride a horse, or wearing a pair of glasses and lecturing a class. The image was so absurd she almost snorted, but covered it with a cough instead.

"I'm sure I wouldn't be any fun," Rei insisted, giving a tight smile of her own.

"Oh, don't worry. You are..._very_fun, Miss Rei."

Right, of course she was. She was his daily dose of entertainment.

She was debating whether to stare daggers or continue smiling at the silver-haired man, when Sharon set her needle down and started rubbing her temple with a frown.

Oh no, no, no. She was not doing that–

"Oh dear, it looks like I am coming down with a terrible headache. Perhaps you and Break should go without me..."

She would have sounded convincing, but then she turned to Rei, knowing Break couldn't see her, and _winked_.

"Oh, no, I–" Rei started to say, because she was suddenly aware what the girl was trying to do.

"Yes, please have a good rest, Milady." Break cut in worriedly. "The Pandora meetings must have taken a toll on you. I will ask the ladies-in-waiting to attend to you when we leave."

"I should stay with Sharon too–"

Sharon brushed it off with a wave. "Oh no, no, the ladies-in-waiting can do that. Don't worry!" She said with far too much enthusiasm for someone with a headache. "Besides, this could be a great time for the both of you to get to know each other."

Rei inwardly groaned. _If only it were that easy._A horseback ride with the clown? She'd rather kill herself. He was probably going to enjoy making fun of her the whole day, since his main purpose seemed to be that. However, seeing Sharon's hopeful expression, she sighed.

_I'll just hang out with him for a couple of hours. It'll be fine._

* * *

"This is impossible," Rei declared, after failing for the umpteenth time to get her satin covered toe into the stirrup. First she had to change into a _riding habit_, and now she was supposed to ride _side-saddle_, which was a more of 'appropriate' way of riding when you're wearing a full-length skirt.

"No it's not, try again," Break said. There was faint amusement in his face as he watched her. He had switched to an attire of his own, black riding boots and a handsome button-down jacket, his silver hair pinned up at one side.

Damn, he looked...fine.

She was so used to Break's floppy white sleeves and coat that made him look like he was always swimming in them, but the straight-edged attire seemed to fit him perfectly. His bangs were still let down though, which puzzled her. Why did he always cover half his face with his hair?

Break had one gloved hand on the horse, the other holding down the stirrup for her. He was standing so close she could smell him. He had this particular _scent _that always made her think of _manly_, _playful_ and _sharp_–an intoxicating swirl of vanilla, spices and chocolates that filled her nostrils and made her want to bury her head to his chest and breathe in–

_Focus._

These few days, she had been having really stupid thoughts like these. She just wanted to whack herself.

Shaking her head, she tried again and this time she succeeded after a few very unladylike hops. Break had to grab her waist and boost her up, but finally she was on the saddle. "Woah, thanks," she breathed, trying not to get distracted on how his hands had felt around her waist. Firm, warm, safe…

_Focus._

His lips curled up. "You're welcome."

Rei started the ride shaky, almost falling off twice but soon she got the hang of it. They were passing by the hills now, in a casual pace. Rei was drawn to the landscape, where a lake beside reflected the blue skies and fluffy white clouds, and there were mountains at the back. They rode in an amiable silence, not bickering for once.

Break was the first to speak up. "So, what is it like in the 21st century?"

She was speechless for a few seconds. Was he…actually _talking_ to her? But he was looking casually at her, so she went along.

"Well, for starters, females in my time do wear pants."

"Pants? For a _lady_?"

"They're pretty acceptable in our century, what with gender equality and all."

"Oh, but surely they do wear more feminine clothing?"

"We do wear skirts and dresses, but not with the bloomers or corsets. They're pretty different. For instance, skirts in our time," She pointed to her upper thigh. "Can be this short. Dresses too,"

Break swallowed. "That is rather…inappropriate."

"Our world is more open I guess. Dresses are also a huge thing for prom."

"Prom?"

"Oh, it's a school dance at the end of the year. It's a _very_ big deal. Some of the girls even get their dresses air-flown from some other faraway countries. They spend like, thousands of dollars on them."

"Did you?"

Rei gave a short laugh. "Umm, no. I never went."

"Why not?"

Rei bit her lip. She stared at the reins, which were now tight in her grip. "Because no one ever asked me."

Break's brows flew up. "What? No one?"

"In high school there are all these ruling cliques. If you don't belong to any of them, you're pretty much labelled a loser or outcast. I was always the weird one. So yeah, I didn't think any of the boys were interested."

Break frowned and regarded her for a long moment.

"What?" Rei said, feeling self-conscious.

"That doesn't make any sense. You're saying _none of them_ ever asked you to it?"

She would have been a little irked, but he sounded so honestly surprised she laughed instead. "You don't really understand the term 'weird' are you? Between me and the pom-pom wielding cheerleaders I wasn't exactly a more interesting choice."

"Why would you be weird?"

"Like I said, I wasn't part of a fancy clique. I wasn't very fashionable either compared to the other girls."

"Being fashionable was important for _school_?"

"Yeah, you know, trendy clothes, gossip, make-up. I wasn't a fan of any of those. The only make-up I even owned was probably just a tube of lip gloss and that was for a wedding."

He looked bewildered. "Why would you need make-up?"

"I don't know. I never really understood it either."

"If it were me, I would have definitely taken you to the dance." He said honestly.

There was a pause, and his eye widened as though he just realised what he said.

Rei felt her cheeks heat up. "Umm…thanks."

Their eyes met, and in that split second, she thought she saw something in his expression but it was gone in an instant as he cleared his throat.

"So, how is the rest of the world like?"

"Well…"

She described everything as well as she could–cars, the malls and restaurants, traffic roads, discos and clubs (she nearly fell off the horse laughing at his reaction when she told him about strip clubs), TVs, laptops and all sorts of future gadgets and digital media.

When she was done, his mouth was hanging open. "Wow."

She grinned. "Still think my world's boring?"

"Wait, so you have that screen thing–"

"Television,"

"Right, _television_, and you can actually _see_ people and things in it?"

"Yeah, you can hear them too."

"And there's that–what's that called–_escalator_, which is like a moving staircase."

"Yup, and that box-like contraption that moves up and down is an _elevator_."

"Elevator," he repeated and shook his head. "I'm astounded."

"I think it'll be pretty interesting if you suddenly landed in my world. I can just imagine your reaction to everything!"

He grinned. "What if I did?"

"I'd rather you not." She teased. "You might have a heart attack from the shock."

Break feigned a hurt expression. "You hurt me, Miss Rei. I feel rejected."

Rei giggled. "I doubt anything hurts you, Mr Clown."

"_Mr Clown_?"

"You should be called that. It suits you."

He gave a dramatic sigh. "Alas I am such an unfortunate victim of name-calling…"

She stuck out her tongue. "Only because you act like such an idiot,"

They were quiet for a moment, until she said, "You know, I can't believe we're actually talking."

"We do talk."

"No, we don't. I wanted us to, but you didn't." The last part came out before she could stop herself, but Break was nodding.

"That is true," He trailed off. "But…"

"But what?"

"I don't really _talk_ to people, Miss Rei."

"You do that pretty well with Sharon." She pointed out.

"Milady is different. She's someone close."

Rei didn't know why, but her chest suddenly constricted, like it had been stabbed. Break must have seen something, because he quickly opened his mouth.

"I didn't mean it that way…"

"No, it's okay. It's true I'm not someone close anyway,"

"It's not–"

"I'm fine, really." She said with a small smile. "We should head back. The sun is setting."

* * *

Rei was in her room, curled in her bed. After that moment with Break, the rest of the following days had been decidedly awkward. Break acted as normal as always, but not with Rei. Their contact was brief, a few hesitant smiles and polite acknowledgements here and there. Several times he had opened his mouth to speak, but she had looked away because she'd remember what he'd said.

Rei had enjoyed the ride with him as they talked that day. It had been their first normal conversation and it had felt so easy, so...

…_nice_.

Like she could ride endlessly with him and never get bored, talk and laugh about anything.

_She's someone close._

She felt that pang of pain again. So, she wasn't as close to him as Sharon was. It wasn't a big deal, right? He had just stated a fact. It wasn't supposed to hurt, but it did.

Why? Why did she feel this way?

Break was just her (so-called) friend. He was an idiotic, annoying clown at best who only liked to make fun of her.

Did she…was she…?

No.

No.

That was ridiculous. Absurd.

She didn't like the clown.

…did she?

"Mrraow!"

Rei jumped.

"What the–_oomph_!"She was cut off when a ball of white suddenly shot out from the cupboard and barrelled right into her arms, making her fall back. When she peered down, she saw that the ball of white was in fact, a...

…cat.

A very…_familiar _white cat.

That white fur, grey-tipped tail, pink collar around its neck, large doe-eyes…

"You! You're that cat I followed into the alley!"

The cat tilted its head in response. Yes, there was no mistaking it. It was her alright!

Rei was stunned. "How did you even _get_ here? Did you fall into the hole too?"

The cat seemed to nod in acknowledgment.

She noticed its mud-caked fur and winced sadly. "Oh, poor you…were you hiding in there the whole time? Don't worry, you can stay with me. I'll take good care of you, okay?"

It meowed and Rei felt her heart melting. It was _so_ cute, the way its puppy-dog eyes looked at her…she hoped Sharon would let her keep it.

"Now all that's left is to give you a name. Hmm," she mused for a while. She remembered how the cat's fur was like without the dirt, as white as snow. "That's it, Snow! How about Snow? You like it?" The cat nuzzled her arm and she chuckled. "Okay, Snow it is then."

There was a knock on the door. Rei stood up, straightening her skirt. "Come in."

Sharon burst in, looking very excited. "Rei!"

"Sharon," Rei beamed as the girl clasped her hand. "What brings you here?"

"There is a tea party later this afternoon and it'll be _great_ if you could come!"

"A _tea party_?

"Yup! It's more of a welcome party to introduce to you some of our friends."

"That sounds great, but I've never been to a tea party before…"

"Trust me, it'll be very fun."

"Alright, if you say so," Rei laughed.

Sharon's eyes fell to the white feline beside Rei's feet and she gasped. "Is that a cat?"

"Yeah, she's the one I followed into the alley in my world. I think she fell into the hole too," Rei explained, scooping her up. "May I keep her?"

"Of course you may!" Sharon giggled when the cat licked her hand. "Oh, she's just _adorable_. Do you have a name for her?"

"I named her Snow. What do you think?"

"That's a beautiful name, just like her fur right? Oh but its all dirty and tangled now. Why don't we bring her for a bath? You like that, little kitty?"

Rei laughed. "I don't think cats like bathing."

Sharon's eyes twinkled. "Well, we'll just have to wait and see then."

* * *

The garden tea party was exactly like what you'd picture in those elaborate Victorian movies. Tables piled with scones, raspberry jam, bite-sized waffles lined one area, while there was another table of exquisite cakes, freshly baked pies, a chocolate fondue, and another for tea and other refreshments.

"Oh, my god," Rei said, staring at the spread.

"What do you think?" Sharon asked.

"It's amazing! I never actually thought I'd be in a genuine Victorian tea party."

"Thanks, I was hoping my event planning wouldn't disappoint."

"Wait–you planned this?"

"I like to plan parties, it's just a little hobby of mine,"

Rei's eyes sparkled in awe. "You'd make a great event planner Sharon. And to complement it the weather's fantastic too."

It was. The sky was a bright blue, almost like paint, dotted with fluffy white clouds. There was a cool breeze and the air was crisp and fresh. There was a fair amount of people in the garden, some in nice dresses and suits. Sharon had dolled Rei up of course–she was dressed in a velvet red dress that had a corset top and a full, billowing skirt trimmed with black frills and ribbons. Her blond hair was half-pinned up, loose curls framing her face and on her feet was a pair of lace-up black heels. In her arms was a freshly cleaned, content Snow.

"Come on, let me introduce to you our friends." Sharon said.

They went over to the side of the garden, where Break and another three people were sitting around a table. He was, of course, happily eating desert.

The one at the far left was a middle-aged man with a large build, chatting with a young boy beside him. He had long blonde hair tied back; emerald green eyes framed by glasses and a scruffy beard. She rather liked the look of the man; he had this jolly, friendly face.

The younger boy he was chatting to resembled him, only his blonde hair was short and his emerald eyes were large and lively. Next to him was a girl with long brown hair and sharp purple eyes, dressed in a red diamond-pattered cloak. She was wolfing down a huge steak and balancing a plate with an impressive tower of meat on the other.

They all stopped when they came.

"Everyone, I would like you to meet Rei Kisagari." Sharon said with a smile.

The blond haired boy was the first to speak. He jumped up, thrusting out a hand. "So you're Rei! Sharon's been talking about you. I'm Oz Vessalius, and this is my uncle, Oscar Vessalius. He's the head of the Vessalius dukedom." He said, nudging the larger man beside him.

"It's my honor to meet you," Rei said, sinking into a deep curtsey which Oscar returned with an equally deep bow. She couldn't believe she was meeting a real-life duke!

"It should be my honor to meet such a beautiful lady," Oscar complimented.

The girl with the long brown hair and purple eyes said energetically, "I'm Alice! And Oz here is my manservant."

"Alice, you shouldn't be telling people I'm a manservant, why not something nicer?" Oz sighed.

Rei blinked. "Manservant? Are you a Contractor?"

"An Illegal Contractor, actually,"

"_Illegal_?"

"Yeah it's…a long story."

Noticing the brief sadness that passed his face, she instantly regretted asking. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to–"

"Oh, no, no, it's alright really. Such a beautiful lady like you shouldn't apologize."

Rei's cheeks reddened again. This boy certainly was a charmer, just like his uncle!

She shook her head. "It's just…you're so young."

"Age has nothing to do with making a Contract."

"I see..." She looked at Alice in wonder. "And you're a Chain?"

"Yup, I'm the B-Rabbit, the mightiest of all!"

"I've read a lot about you. You look so different from what they described! You're like human!"

"That's why she's weird."

A man strolled up to them. He had short wavy raven hair and gold eyes. He wore a white collared shirt, a cravat, black pants and a black silver-trimmed trench coat over it. A holster with a gun was strapped around his left thigh.

"What did you say, seaweed head?"

"It's true! Chains aren't' supposed to look human!" The man defended.

"It's because I'm s the strongest and _I'm_ special moron! Hah, you're just _jealous_–"

"–Like I'll be jealous of a _stupid_ rabbit–"

"–Of course you would be since you're just a _puny_ human–"

"–you're nothing without _my_ Raven and besides, with your appetite you're just going to end up a soggy, fat cow!"

"So what if I like meat? It's better than having a hair that looks like stinking old seaweed from the ocean!"

"Guys, break it up. We have a guest here!" Oz sighed. She sweat dropped; there were practically sparks flying between them, and no it wasn't the romantic kind.

The two halted abruptly. Then the raven-haired man–Gilbert?– shot one last withering glare to Alice (who hissed back) before turning to Rei.

"Sorry about that," He bowed and gave a sheepish smile that instantly made him look less, uh, intimidating. "I'm Gilbert Nightray, Oz's servant."

"I'm Rei Kisagari," She curtsied with a smile. "You two seem pretty close"

"I'm definitely _not_ close with the damn rabbit." He muttered.

Sharon laughed. "Forgive those two. Why don't we take a seat?"

Oscar at the far left of the table, followed by Oz, Alice, an empty seat for Rei, Sharon, Break and then Gilbert.

Rei was about to sit when Sharon moved, taking her seat instead. Now there was an empty seat between Sharon and Break.

_Oh not again, Sharon…_

Left with no choice, she settled next to the silver-haired man. Sharon wanted to do a little jig. Her plan had worked! She accepted a slice of fudge cake from Break, feeling quite pleased.

Rei felt awkward being so close to Break. No, awkward wasn't even close to it. She felt like dying. Oh god, why oh why was her heart thumping so wildly? Her palms were sweating, and she couldn't concentrate on anything else. This wasn't supposed to be happening. She looked around, hoping for something to distract her.

Okay. Cake. Put the fork in it. Eat. She was going to be just fine…

Rei was suddenly squeezed to the said person she was feeling nervous about by Sharon. Her face ended up crushed in his sleeves and for that split second, the scent of vanilla and spices again filled her head and override all her other senses, so sweet and sharp and so _Break_–

She pulled back quickly. "I-I'm sorry!" She didn't even need to look to know her cheeks were flushed.

"No, it's okay," Break said quickly. His cheeks were crimson too as he looked away.

"Hey, the clown is blushing!" Alice exclaimed, pointing to Break.

"Oh, he is!" Oz affirmed.

Gilbert's jaw went slack. "In all my ten years with him, I've never even seen him blush once before!"

"Awww, I wonder if it was something to do with Rei-chan that made him blush?" Oz teased.

"Uh, everyone…" Break said.

"Break actually blushes~" Oz sang.

"You youngsters are so childish," Break sighed.

Alice stuck out his tongue. "Says the clown,"

* * *

An hour into the food, the group had engaged into an conversation. Oz was talking about how he came to the Reinsworth mansion, about Alice's memories and how that started their journey and Rei listened with fascinated interest.

"…so now we're working for Pandora under Break." Oz was saying.

Rei nearly choked on her tea. "You work for Pandora?"

"Yup, everyone at this table does actually. Don't you know?"

"Umm," She hesitated, remembering what Sharon had said about Pandora.

Sharon must have noticed her confusion, because she gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry I forgot to tell you earlier, Rei. You don't have to worry. They may be in Pandora, but they're our friends! You can tell them."

Alice said in between mouthfuls of meat, "Tell us what?"

"I'm actually from the future." Rei said.

Man, you could hear the crickets chirping.

Taking a deep breath, Rei told them everything. When she was done, they were all looking at her like she had grown three heads.

Gilbert was the first to speak. His voice was faint with shock. "You're from the future. Like _future_, future."

"Yes."

Oz was stunned. "Are you a Contractor then, since you travelled through the Abyss? Any marks?"

She shook her head. "No, nothing. I just dropped down the hole and woke up here. That's all. I'm sorry; you guys must think I'm a freak now."

Oz shook his head vehemently. "No, no, that's just incredible! I mean to meet someone who's from a completely different era, it's just…_wow_."

Oscar was nodding. "This is indeed most interesting. Of all the years I've been in Pandora I've never heard of a human who could travel through the Abyss without making a Contract, and it's probably the largest time skip in history. But now from Break's theory, it seems completely plausible."

"It's like you have a connection with Alyss or something, like Alice here." Oz mused.

"Alice?"

"She's my twin sister, from what I've learned." Alice shrugged. "But don't worry. Other than our appearance, I'm _nothing_ like her at all."

Break smirked. "I'm hardly surprised. You should probably add in the large intelligence gap too."

"You stupid clown–!"

"Break, stop it." Sharon reprimanded.

"But all this talk is making me bored~"

Sharon ignored him and turned to the rest. "We told this to you because we all have the same goal, to find the Will of the Abyss. We hope to keep this a secret and thus I hope you'll keep it as such."

"We will! Sharon, I give you my word. I'll definitely help Rei-chan." Oz said seriously.

"Count me in!" Alice chirped.

"Me too; after all we're all going to be helping each other this way." Gilbert added.

"Yeah, it would be a great loss to not help a lady this cute." Oscar laughed.

Rei just stared at them, stunned at their support. She managed to choke out a "Thanks guys."

"Is Rei-chan crying? Are you unhappy?" Alice asked worriedly.

"N-no, I'm not."

"She's just touched you stupid rabbit!" Gilbert said.

"Hey I was just concerned! How would I know?"

"Everyone knows that."

"Not everyone."

"Everyone who isn't an idiot like _you_,"

"I'm not an idiot!"

"'Right, right, you're the smartest."

"Haha! You've finally said I'm smart!"

"I was being sarcastic you stupid rabbit."

"Shut up!"

The two continued bickering, and for once Rei couldn't help laughing at the fight too.

"Well isn't this a lively party you're having."

They spun around at the voice. Rei saw a towering man approaching them. He had long red hair, sharp gold eyes and waxen pale skin, nose turned up almost haughtily. From just the way he carried himself, she could sense an impression of immense power. There was something about him…this sense of foreboding. This wasn't someone you wanted to mess with. Her feelings were further affirmed as the others beside her tensed as well.

"Rufus Barma, why is he here…" Oz mumbled.

That's_Rufus Barma?_Rei's heart leapt when the man suddenly stopped right in front of her.

"So you are Rei Kisaragi, the…_guest_." Rufus said. He said the last part with an almost audible sniff, like he was talking about dead fish.

"Nice to meet you, Duke Barma," Rei curtsied politely.

"Duke Barma, why are you here?" Sharon asked, albeit too warily.

"I saw you were having a fun party and I was a little stung I wasn't invited…"

"Duke Barma, why don't you get to the point already?" Break was looking rather annoyed.

"Fine, I'll cut to the chase. I would like this girl," He pointed his fan to Rei. "To join Pandora,"

Shock hit the group like an anvil.

"I'm afraid that's impossible, Duke Barma." Sharon said.

"Impossible? And why is that?"

"She has no relation to Pandora–"

"Lying is a very bad thing, Sharon. Especially to me,"

"I'm not…"

"Do you really think you can keep her here under the pretence of a guest forever?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"You know very well what I mean. This is a girl who isn't supposed to _exist_ here, and is an important link to the Will of the Abyss. You helped her instead of handing such a valuable asset to Pandora. _This,_ is defiance of the highest order," Rufus's voice was low, cutting.

Sharon was silent for a long moment. "How did you…"

"I know everything, Sharon." He replied coolly. Rei stared at the man. Was this guy for real? She was immensely irritated at how pompous he was acting. Hell, he was probably 100 times more irritating than Break, and that was saying something. Why was he grilling Sharon instead of her? It wasn't even Sharon's fault! Rei bit her lip, hard.

Sharon remained calm. "I will be responsible for my actions."

"Yes, but you will never be able to account for the shame you bring to the Reinsworth dukedom with your reckless actions."

"Rei is alright here, she's brought no harm-"

"I don't think you're getting the _point_, Sharon." Rufus hissed acidly. "People are getting suspicious. If that _thing_," He barely spared her a disgusted glance. "Keeps pretending to be some guest, there's high chance her cover will be blown soon. Haven't you ever thought of that possibility?"

Okay what the hell was his _problem_? And did he just call her a thing?

"We will ensure it won't be."

Re's blood boiled as more insulting words were spat out in a hash, acidic tone.

"No, she _will_ be discovered one day. This is why you are so _naïve_ and _foolish_, always thinking you can get away from the eyes of Pandora. You are just an irresponsible, spoilt girl. Your grandmother Cheryl would be so disappointed in you. And with all the trouble you've caused helping that thing, I don't see how you're even fit to be lady of the Reinsworth dukedom."

Okay, that was _so_ it. Rei stormed to the bastard's front, ignoring Sharon's gasp and nearly knocking past Break. Everything was crashing down on her friend when it should have been her, and she just couldn't take it anymore.

"Look, I don't care who you are, or who the hell you think you are, but _stop scolding Sharon_. She has been nice and kind-hearted the whole time to even want to help me. This is my problem so you have no right to blame her. She has done nothing wrong and if there is someone responsible for anything it will be _me_." She said. The words just flew out of her mouth, brimming with hot, icy rage. To hell with etiquette now. Rei had a temper when evoked and her hand was now positively itching to slap that bastard. She ploughed on. "And secondly, my name isn't 'that thing', its Rei, Rei Kisaragi. Remember that asshole."

There were collective gasps from the group.

Rufus's eyes darkened. "You will bite your tongue!"

Re's anger flared to match his and she stepped forward to meet his glare straight on. "I will not! I don't care if you're the king of the world and you think you can boss everybody but _you_ don't get to boss _my_ life."

His face went very, very red. "I've never met such an insolent girl!"

"Well I've never met such a proud and obnoxious guy either!"

"So this is what your world is like? Filled with vulgar people who have no values like you?"

"No, in my world, we respect our elders. We don't go around acting like the king of everybody. _We_ are not as _pompous_, _arrogant_ and _obnoxious_ as you," She jabbed her finger into his chest with each word. "Maybe you should question _your_ values, because they certainly seem to be lacking. As for me, I respect those who respect me. From the start I've been polite, but all you've done is blatantly refer me as a 'thing' and insult Sharon when all she'd done was help."

"_You insolent_–" Rufus raised his sharp-edged fan to strike her, but the next second a sword was at his neck, and a gun was pointed at him.

"Touch a hair of hers, and I swear will sever your head." Break said. His face was frighteningly blank, voice low and threatening.

"You wouldn't dare."

The sword pressed closer, creating a thin line of blood. "_Try me."_

They stared at each other for a full minute, tension hot as a wire as they glared at each other.

Gilbert had never seen Break pissed before, and it was honestly downright terrifying. When Break was being his usual idiotic self, he was alright, your happy-go-lucky good friend. When he got _angry_ however, which was extremely rare…it could literally make a grown man wet his pants. And he'd certainly have no qualms of killing anyone, not even Rufus.

"Duke Barma, don't be a fool. We all know where this is going to end." Gilbert said.

There was a long silence, before Rufus dropped the fan. Break didn't.

Gilbert carefully touched the man's arm. "Xerxes,"

Break relented, putting the sword down but not breaking the stare at him.

Rufus curled his nose. "Why this is the first time I've seen such _anger_ in you, Hatter."

"I think you should leave," Sharon said.

"Not until we finalise the matter of…Miss Rei, joining Pandora."

Rei wanted to smirk in satisfaction at his change of addressing her, but kept her voice level.

"That'll be walking right into the lion's den."

"On the contrary, if you work for Pandora, it's going to disguise you better. Think about it. You will blend in and have more access to the information there at the same time. The Reinsworth family won't risk being humiliated as well. It's win-win."

"Well…" Rei hesitated.

"But how do you expect her to fight without a Chain?" Oz protested.

"She can start of with simple missions, and if she can adept we'll go ahead from there."

"But it's still dangerous for someone with no skill."

"Not if there's someone to guide her."

"Alright," Rei said, facing him straight. "I'll work for Pandora."

Oz gaped. "Rei-chan!"

"But I'm not doing this for you, and I'm certainly not going to be working under you either."

"Do whatever you wish. And this," He dangled down a gold cross-shaped pocket chain, which she accepted. "Is the symbol of Pandora you will hold with pride to declare you a member of Pandora. Goodbye." With that, he left.

Rei stared at the retreating form, wondering what she had done with her life. Had she actually just dissed a duke?

Suddenly she was crushed by Sharon, Oz and Alice, who were cheering.

"THAT WAS AWESOME REI-CHAN!" Oz hooted.

"You totally showed that idiot who was boss!" Alice commended with an impressed grin.

Even Gilbert was smiling. "His expression _was_ priceless."

Rei was stunned. "Aren't you guys…mad? After all he had to be someone close…"

"Mad? We hate him too! How did you even get the courage to do that?" Oz cried.

"I don't know what came over me. I just got so pissed off with his attitude to Sharon."

"Thank you so much for standing for me, Rei-chan," Sharon said, hugging her again.

"Well that idiot duke deserved it," Alice said.

"Yeah, thanks Gilbert for helping me just now, and Break…" She looked around, but realised he was gone. "Where did he go?"

"I think he went back into the mansion."

"I'll go find him."

She caught up with the silver-haired man pretty quickly. "Break!"

He turned around and smiled. "Miss Rei,"

"Thanks, for…what you did just now."

"It was nothing, and Miss Rei? I'm sorry about that day. I really didn't mean it." Break said.

She smiled. "It's okay, I'm sorry too."

He shook his head. "I was just being an idiot,"

"Like how you always are?" She half-teased.

"Well maybe not considering we're now subordinates. Although…Miss Rei, do you really want to join Pandora? You don't have to force yourself."

She gave a firm nod. "I do. It's the only way."

"It will be very dangerous."

"I know…but it'll be one step closer to helping me find a way back too."

"I'll protect you, Miss Rei. Even at the cost of my life," He said seriously.

Rei blushed. "Thank you."

He smiled. "Well, congratulations on being part of Pandora then."

She smiled and gazed at the gold cross. It felt heavy in her hand, like part of her heart. She knew there would be dangers and uncertainty in this new path, but looking at Break, she didn't feel that scared anymore. She was getting one step closer, and it was a risk she was willing to take.

_It would be worth it._ Her fingers curled over the cross, and she closed her eyes. It would be.

* * *

**A/N**: I've been really busy lately, and will probably only be able to update once in a while. Nevertheless, thank you for sticking with me for this story. In this chapter, I had a very tough time with Break because he seemed a bit OCC, but this is actually how I think he'd act when he's with Rei. Rei is a girl who is really able to bring out the person he really is when she is with him, although it's not very obvious now. We've all seen Break smiling and happy, but what about the man underneath? This story is mostly about the real Break and Rei. She is the one who can really unmask him, and thus his real personality in this story may differ from the usual happy-go-lucky one. Thanks for reading, and if you will just drop in a review (even a short one), I'll love you forever. Constructive criticism on my writing style etc is welcome too(:


	8. Mirror, mirror on the Wall

I think this is the first time I've updated so fast o_o Please be aware there will probably be many mistakes and stuff because I didn't have time to edit, but I'll do so later. And a huge thanks to all of those who favourited/reviewed my story! I wanted to say this a long time ago but kept forgetting XD

Enjoy!(:

* * *

Break and Rei were strolling past several shops. They were in the central town again, one week later. The place was just like she remembered, bustling and filled with the rich aroma of food. Snow sat curled in her owner's arms, content. Break walked beside her, munching on some candy. Several times their arms touched, and at each one she felt an electric jolt.

"It's amazing, everything's still so normal after the Chain attack here," Rei noted. Children were laughing while playing games and the people were still going on in their everyday business.

"Life goes on. No matter what happens, there are always humans who pretend the attack never happened." Break said.

"Maybe…they just want to believe everything's okay."

"How strange humans can be, in their desperate quest for normalcy. They reject even the things laid out in front of their eyes…"

"You talk like you're not human,"

"Of course I am. I just don't think turning blind to the matter in front of their eyes helps."

Rei snorted. "You don't act like a human sometimes. Okay, most of the time."

"Huh? Why?"

Well, there's your insane squeezing into physically impossible small places, and then magically disappearing afterwards, then there's your talking doll, your intake of sugar which can literally turn any healthy human diabetic in two days, your knack of appearing in my bed or other totally inappropriate times, managing to annoy the hell out of me…" She counted the list off with her fingers.

"Okay, I think you've made your point."

"Exactly," Rei smiled. She turned back to her mission file. Other days she would be here to sightsee or shop, but not today.

Today she was going to do her first ever mission.

They had received the notice yesterday, and Break as insisted by Sharon would be her partner from now on. Nerves, however, was something the blonde-haired girl couldn't avoid.

"You should calm down."

"I am calm." Rei said unconvincingly.

"You've flipped through that file 23 times already," Break pointed out. "I counted. Anymore and I think the poor file's going to fall apart."

She reluctantly put the worn parchment down. "I can't help it. It's my first mission after all."

"Exactly~ you should greet it with joy!"

"Well, I'll try. So two days ago, there was an attack at a nearby forest that killed a few people and we're supposed to ask the witnesses for any information."

"Yup, simple as that,"

"What if I screw up?" She asked weakly.

"You won't. Nothing is going to happen."

"Yeah, I hope…" She said half-heartedly. "On the good side, at least P.A's not my boss." P.A was the new name she'd given to Duke Barma. It stood for pompous airbag, which totally suited him. She'd had other choice words for him before, but decided it was too censored.

Break curled his nose in disgust. "I'd never put you under Duke Barma,"

She smiled. "He _is_ a dick. I'd rather die than work for him."

"That's why working with me is better, no?"

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but yeah."

"See? It's going to be fine. Want a sweet~?" He waved a brightly wrapped candy in front of her.

"No thanks,"

"Take it, you look like you're going to have a nervous breakdown~"

"Geez, are sweets all you ever eat? Are they that good?"

"Of course they are! They're the best thing in the world."

"You'll die you know, if you eat too much." She had meant that as a joke, but Break's reply surprised her.

"Maybe I will, maybe I won't," He said ambiguously. There was an almost sad expression on his face him but was gone in a split second when he waved the candy again. "Now come on. Eat up!"

She eyed it doubtfully. "They look like they can take forever to finish."

"Just try it. I'm sure you'll love it. It looks like a really ordinary sweet with a little surprise inside."

Shrugging, she took the candy ball and popped it into her mouth. When her teeth bit it, the thin shell broke and chocolate oozed out. "Oh!"

"So what's your verdict?"

"Hmm," Rei thought as she licked the velvety chocolate. "Since it has chocolate…I'll give it a 7/10,"

Break pouted. "Only?"

She beamed. "You'd have to try harder to please me."

"I won't be defeated that easily!"

"You know, you kinda remind me of Wily Wonka," She said, laughing.

"Who?"

"He's this guy from the Charlie and the Chocolate factory story. He's pretty much obsessed with candy as well."

"Wow, I never thought I'd have a competitor!"

"You're weirder than him though. _Way_ weirder."

"Ouch," Break feigned a hurt expression.

"Okay, okay. We seriously have to get back to the mission or we can go all day."

"They gave us a list of names to ask." Break said, plucking out a list from nowhere.

She took a deep breath. "Good, let's start then."

* * *

The first was a woodcutter in his late 40s. They slowly progressed through the list of people, who ranged from old men to young children. Most were cooperative while some were more difficult. To Break's surprise, Rei had a way with them, especially with the children. She was very patient and calm, even making them smile at the end.

Break casually leaned against the door of their next house as he watched Rei converse with a young 8-year old girl who was curled by the bed. She had refused to budge or say a single word for two days.

"Can you please tell me what you saw, Jessie?" Rei asked gently.

The girl kept her head turned away.

Rei thought for a moment. "Break, can you lend me Emily, please?"

"Umm, okay." He handed the doll to her. Rei placed it in front of the girl.

"Hello!" Rei said in a high-pitched voice, mimicking the doll. "This is Emily here! Can Jessie be my friend?"

No reply.

"Emily feels very lonely. Emily really hopes Jessie will be her friend…"

There was silence at first, and just when she thought her plan had failed, Jessie slowly looked up. Her light brown eyes were large, curious.

"Yay! Can you tell Emily what happened?"

Fear clouded her eyes again and she shook her head.

"Don't be scared, Emily will protect you. Nothing bad will happen!"

"Really?" She asked in a small voice. Her eyes were shining with tears. "You will?"

"Yes! So can Jessie be a good, brave girl and tell me what happened?"

At long last, the young girl nodded.

Break could only shake his head in amazement.

* * *

As they walked out of the fifteenth house, it was already late afternoon, the sky a deep blue.

So far, they'd found that the Chain attack had come in a group, much larger than most they saw. They attacked a couple of woodcutters who happened to be there. With this information, their mission could be concluded as successful.

"Let's rest for a while," Break suggested, noticing Rei's worn expression.

"I'm fine, we can still go on," Rei said.

"No can do. I _simply_ wouldn't hear the end of it from Milady if you fall sick. And it looks like little bugger there wants a break." He pointed to the meowing cat.

She relented. "Alright then,"

"Really, though, why would you bring him?"

"He didn't want me to leave," She shrugged.

Break sighed. "I can never get why you like cats."

"That's because they're the most adorable, precious little animals in the world!"

"They're such vile little…hissy things."

"Only if you treat them bad," Rei defended.

"Whatever you say," Break said. He spotted a fruit juice stall nearby. "Fancy a drink?"

"Gratefully,"

"What fruit?"

She thought for a while. "Apple?"

"Wait here, I'll be back soon~" With that, Break strode off.

Rei sank to a bench against the brick wall, picking a well-behaved Snow into her arms and watching the silver-haired man stroll off.

* * *

Break hurried back. The queue had been longer than expected, and now the sun was setting. He hoped she wasn't mad.

"Sorry Miss Rei I didn't mean to…" He slowed when he found the bench empty. "Miss Rei?" He spun around, but didn't find her in sight. Fear snaked into his veins. No, no, she was fine, probably went home or left to see some shops…

"Mraow!"

Snow was by his feet, nudging him. He knelt down and sense of dread spread over him. Rei would never leave her cat alone like this. The cat was positively agitated, meowing persistently as though it wanted to tell him something.

"Hey little furball, what happened? Do you know where's Miss Rei?"

It nodded and nudged Break into an alley beside the brick wall. He went in cautiously, looking around. A shiny glint on the ground caught his eye, and when he bent to look at it, his blood froze.

It was Rei's gold locket. And there were patches of black fur beside it.

* * *

"The Cheshire Cat took Rei? How?" Sharon gasped.

Break was back in the mansion's main living room, with Sharon, Oz, Alice and Gilbert.

He paced about, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know. I was gone just for a while but when I came back, she was gone. This wasn't supposed to happen, it was my fault…"

"Break, calm down, we'll find her." Gilbert said, brows creasing at the man's distress.

Break spun around. "Sharon, I need you to use Eques to open up the dimension."

"I'll go with you!"

"No, it's too dangerous."

"But Break…"

"I'll be fine, Milady. I was the one who caused this so I'll deal with it," He said grimly.

"Alright," Sharon relented and summoned her Chain. The shadowy beast emerged in a gust of wind. Dark flames licked wildly as it encircled Break.

"Please be careful, Break," Sharon said worriedly.

Break offered a small smile behind the whipping flames. "I will, Milady."

There was a '_whoosh'_, and then he was gone.

Oz pressed Sharon's arm reassuringly. "Don't worry Sharon. I'm sure Break will get her back safe."

Gilbert frowned. "Honestly, I'm more worried about _him_."

"Why?"

"Haven't you noticed? In all my ten years I've never seen him so worked up over anybody except for Milady."

"That's because Rei's his partner."

"No, I don't think it's just that. Even that time with Duke Barma's...I'm worried it'll affect his emotions, you know, make him to impulsive things?" He slowed at a thought, and his mouth formed a little 'o'. "Do you think Break's actually...?"

Oz was stunned for a moment but then he laughed nervously. "Nah, it can't be. I don't think Break is the type who'd actually fall for people. I mean, he's such a silly clown. You're probably thinking too much."

* * *

_Ouch…_

Rei's eyes slowly fluttered open. The first thing what came to her view a red and black chequered ceiling. Wait, wasn't she at the marketplace? Then everything flew back to her in a rush.

She had been waiting there by the brick wall, when all of a sudden a shadow had appeared behind her, and the next thing she knew someone or some_thing_ had grabbed her hard and jerked her into it. The last thing she had remembered was the tingle of a bell, before the world went black.

She sat up slowly and took in her surroundings.

_This place…_

The floors were an obsidian black. Various paintings and odd-shaped doors hung dotted the walls. An eerie sense of déjà vu swept over her.

_It's just like the one in my dreams!_

Suddenly there was a roar, and a group of Chains materialised in front of her.

Fear and shock paralyzed her, and she could only shut her eyes at the impending doom.

_Break…_

"_SLASH_!"

Her eyes flew open at that sound. The Chains were gone, and in place was...

"Break!" She cried.

Relief knocked over her like a wave as the familiar silver-haired man rushed to her. He grabbed her arm, red eye wide with worry.

"Miss Rei, are you alright? Are you hurt?" He asked urgently. He looked concern, and faintly she wondered why.

"I-I'm fine, but how did you find me?"

"Through Milady's Chain, but there's no time to explain. Come." He picked her up bridal-style and started up a flight of stairs. Behind them, new Chains were already emerging and chasing them.

"Wait, where are we? What's going on?"

"A dimension between neither world. It looks like the Cheshire cat has set his eyes on you,"

"_Cheshire cat_?"

"It's a special Chain like Alice, and he's a _very_ huge fan of the Will of the Abyss."

"So it's trying to kill me?"

"Unfortunately, yes. I was planning to catch him earlier but this was unexpected…"

"What do you mean you were trying to catch him earlier?"

"I was thinking since the Will of the Abyss was looking for you the Cheshire cat would too. I never expected him to appear so soon though…"

"So you were using me as bait!"

"Umm, well…" He gave a sheepish smile.

"You asshole!" She hissed, hitting his shoulder.

They went into one of the hundred random rooms. It looked deceivingly empty, until a Chain suddenly appeared in front of them, bellowing.

"Oops," Break dodged a chandelier that was thrown at them. More Chains appeared and swarmed around Break. He put Rei down behind him and drew his sword, fighting them but there were too many.

"Break!" Rei cried.

"Go, Miss Rei!"

"I'm not leaving you!"

"I'll be fine! Just go! I'll join you later!"

Choking back a cry, she picked up her skirt and fled. Her legs burned as she pushed past random doors, blinded by the different colours and patters. Everything was going on so fast. She didn't know how long she ran, catching glimpses of the toys in the rooms cackling madly.

_Madness. The Abyss. Hate._

The word seemed to spin and she finally slowed at flower-painted room. She cast a glance back, forcing down the bile that was making her way up her throat. There were no Chains in sight. She was safe, safe…

"Hello."

She stiffened. For a split second, she heard nothing but the pounding on her heartbeat in her ears, and then slowly, she turned around.

A tall, dark-clothed boy was crouched on the ground behind her. Cat ears stuck out of wild black hair that framed a feline face, complete with the whiskers and such.

"Y-you're the Cheshire Cat." She stuttered.

"Yes. And you're that…girl Alyss-sama has been being so frantic about. The _Disturbance_,"

He narrowed his eyes in contempt, and she flinched. Eh_? Just now, his stare felt exactly like Break's. That eye…_

He stood up suddenly, towering over her.

"W-What do you want from me?"

"Cheshire wants you gone. You've been making Alyss-sama so upset these few weeks." He licked his paw and smiled. "But now Cheshire's found you."

Rei swallowed, trying to keep the fear away from her voice. "D-don't you dare do anything,"

"Oh but Cheshire will. Cheshire dares to do _anything_ for Alyss. Cheshire will enjoy ripping your pretty little body into pieces.."

"Why are you doing this?" she whispered.

"Isn't it obvious? Because Cheshire loves Alyss! Cheshire is Alyss's _most_ precious pet!"

Most precious. Pieces of her dreams flew back to her, the toys, the Chains who all chanted the same thing. It was the same craziness, the same mad obsession.

_Alyss loves us. We're Alyss' _most_ precious toys._

The cat was still talking. "Cheshire wants Alyss to be happy. But because of you, Alyss' has been so upset. She knows something is wrong. _Something_ has disrupted the balance of the Abyss. But the big question is WHO? Now Cheshire has found the little rat! "

With that he sprang forward. She fled out of the room, but you could only go so fast in skyscraper-heeled shoes. She took them off, flinging them away. Behind, she could here the cat's shrill voice.

"You can run, but you can't hide!"

She turned at different points, past staircases and hallways till she hit a dead end in a mirror-panelled room. There was no one behind her. Had she lost the cat?

"GOT YOU!"

Cheshire leapt down from the ceiling, swinging his arm in a vicious swipe. She threw herself to the right, but the claws managed to catch and tear off half of Rei's skirt. She wasted no time, scrambling up and backing against a mirrored wall. He was blocking the exit. There was no escape.

"You're such an interesting human," Cheshire commented, licking his paw. He was obviously treating this as a game. "Cheshire can see now why Alyss is so interested in you. You have a fire inside you, a burning fire."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Ah, but you do. Cheshire knows. But that fire's strong, dangerous. Deep down, you want to kill the Will of the Abyss." He accused.

"That's not true. I never wanted _any_ of this." Rei said vehemently, but the cat was adamant.

"Don't lie! You are a bad human! Cheshire will not let you hurt Alyss-sama!" With that, he attacked her again. She ducked and his claws collided with the mirror behind her. To her surprise, he was thrown back a few meters upon impact.

The cat stared behind her. "_You_!"

_Who?_

Rei suddenly felt a pair of arms encircle her waist. A person's nose pressed against her ear.

"_Shhhhhhh._"

_That voice…_

Before she could react however, the arms abruptly jerked her back into the wall. It magically gave way and Rei gasped as she felt her body sinking in.

She saw Cheshire's furious face, before it was nothing but a dot and the darkness closed in on her.

* * *

Rei was in a garden. It was a sunny day, with birds chirping in the trees and butterflies dancing in the air. The grass was damp and fresh under her bare feet, flowers tickling her exposed mid-thighs.

Everything was…peaceful.

She stood there speechless for a few minutes, stunned at the change in scenario.

_What in the world?_

She went forward slowly, brushing away a canopy of leaves. There was a man sitting on the grass in front of her, back against a tree. He was dressed in a dark green coat and black pants, long silver hair braided to one side. A sword lay by his hand. On closer inspection, she saw one of his eyes was bandaged while the other was closed. His breathing was slow and even. He was asleep.

She stopped a few steps away from him, eyes wide. He looked so…familiar but she couldn't see his full face from this angle. She knelt down, and reached out to him. Maybe he could help her…

The next thing she knew, she was slammed roughly to the ground.

"Who are you?" The man barked. His hands were clasped around her throat and she struggled for air.

"Stop…I'm not going to hurt you, please,"

He stared at her, and then slowly released his grip. "Who are you?"

"Rei," She panted. When she finally met his gaze, she uttered, "…Break?"

That red eye, and silver hair…it was Break! She started to smile, but was thrown back by his reaction.

"You know me." He said. It was a statement, not a question.

His tone made her shiver. It was so...icy. There was no humour in his face, only anger and wariness. He looked like the kind who'd never smile. He gave off a tensed, dangerous vibe that gave Rei the chills.

It was clear whoever this man was, wasn't the Break she knew.

"I…" How was she supposed to explain this? This was so strange. "Yes, I know you."

"How?"

"I've…umm, h-heard of you."

"How did you get here?"

"I…just did." She said and mentally smacked herself. _Way to go, Rei. What a dumb answer._

Break narrowed his eye, scrutinizing her for one long minute. She was definitely human, and didn't look like she could be a thief. Perhaps she was a village child who had gotten lost or wanted to cause some trouble?

Rei bit her lip, feeling self-conscious under his stare.

"You are injured."

"Huh?"

He was looking at a long bleeding cut on her bare thigh which she hadn't noticed before. Oh, she must have gotten it from the cat…

The man tore a piece of fabric from his shirt. He started wrapping it around the wound wordlessly. His movements were swift but gentle, exactly like how Break did it in the forest when she had been attacked by the Chain.

"Umm, its okay you don't have to…"

"It will become infected if you leave it like that," He said matter-of-factly.

Her cheeks heated up. He was so close. From this angle, she could see the long lowered eyelashes that softened that blazing crimson eye, and that sharp nose…damn it, he was actually really handsome.

And he really _was_ Break, just with a completely different personality.

_But who _are_ you? _

This Break in front of her was so different. His personality, stern stare that could make a grown man shiver...it scared her. It was such a 180 degrees change in personality. This Break was cold, dead and strong. How could the same people be so different? She would never in her life imagine him to be a idiotic clown. She remembered he said he had arrived in the Rainsworth mansion ten years ago. Could this be him in the past?

She was so caught up in her thoughts she jumped when he pulled away and said, "Done."

"T-Thank you." She said, gazing at the dark green cloth now securely wrapped around her wound. He had finished it with a little ribbon and she couldn't help but give a small smile.

"What?" He arched a brow.

"Nothing, it's just…you're just like my friend too. He likes to finish his bandage off with a ribbon too."

"Huh, I should probably undo it then…"

"Huh? No, don't! It's cuter that way. Ah," She paused, blinking.

He stiffened when she reached out to his face.

"What are you doing?"

"Your, umm, your eye is bleeding." She pointed out. Blood was seeping out from his bandage, rolling down his cheek.

"Oh, that. It doesn't matter."

She raised a brow at his dismissive tone. "You're just going to leave it there to bleed?"

"Yes."

She tore off a portion of her satin skirt. "Let me help." She offered.

"It's fine."

"You can't just let it bleed like that. Look at me," She said firmly.

No one had ever ordered him to do something ever since he came here, and he shook his head in disbelief. "Are you insane, woman? I told you its fine."

"I'm not going to let someone die from blood loss. There's a lot of bleeding especially if it's from the eye." Okay, she was geeking out, but still.

"You're not scared of me, are you?"

"A little," She said honestly. "But you're not a bad person."

"And you would know,"

"If you were, you would have killed me long ago."

"I tried to strangle you."

"Only because I caught you off-guard,"

He suddenly pushed her against the tree, lips brushing her ear. "I could be a killer, or a rapist. Aren't you scared?"

She kept her face straight and looked at him in the eye. "You're not." The blood was now dripping to his shirt. "Now just let me bandage it, please."

"You're really stubborn aren't you?" He pulled back, snorting. "I'll do it by myself. Look away."

"Why?"

"It's…not something for the faint-hearted."

Biting her lip, she complied. She heard shuffling for a few seconds.

"Done,"

She turned back and saw his eye was finally bandaged with the new strip. She smiled.

"Great."

"Happy now?"

"Very. What happened anyway?" She asked.

Instantly she knew she had struck a nerve because his face turned hostile again.

"It's none of your business."

"I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to…"

He leaned against the tree again and sighed. "It's fine. You are such a strange girl."

"Umm, thanks?" To think _Break_ of all people would say that she was strange...

He let out a small laughter. It was more of a chuckle really, but he quickly turned sombre. Gosh, it was weird, seeing Break so serious.

"You're not going to leave, are you?"

"I wouldn't know where to go." It was the truth.

"So you're just going to sit here?"

"I can…talk to you."

Break let out a snort and he closed his eye.

"A Chain did it."

Her eyes flew up. "What?"

"A mangy, dirty little cat,"

_The Cheshire cat_, she realised. No wonder Break hated cats so much…

"Why did he do it?"

"He didn't have an eye, so he took mine."

"That's horrible," She whispered sadly.

"Aren't you scared? By now most people would be freaked out at what I'm telling them." Break said, puzzled. He had only meant to say those things to scare her away, but instead she looked fascinated.

"I'm not,"

"…You really are strange."

She smiled. "I guess I am. People call me that."

They looked at each other, and in that second everything else seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them together. Break lowered his eye, leaning forward. Their lips went closer…until Break abruptly pushed her to the ground and flung out his sword with a curse. A loud clash of metals and claws rang in the air.

"The Cheshire!" Rei exclaimed. Break put an arm in front of her.

"Stay back."

"Ah, so you've met the girl," Cheshire said.

"What are you doing here, dirty cat?"

"None of your concern!"

Cheshire pounced on him. Break dodged easily and brought his sword down, cutting the cat's arm off. Cheshire gave a cry of rage.

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

They engaged into a fight, throwing each other to the ground and then back up.

"Miss Rei!"

Rei whirled around and saw a portal behind her. Break was behind it!

"Take my hand! Quick!" He yelled, throwing out his hand.

"But-" She cast a look at the two who were still fighting. Cheshire saw what was going on and glared.

"Cheshire is not letting you off!" He hissed, jumping after her.

Rei hurriedly took Break's hand and flung herself into the portal. There was a blinding light.

When she opened her eyes, she was back in the mirrored room.

"Miss Rei! Are you alright?" Break asked. Yes, this was Break, the short-haired, annoying idiot! She flung her arms around him.

"What took you so long?" She cried.

He let out a sheepish laugh. "Sorry, got a bit caught up."

"I-I thought you'd died you moron…"

He patted her back awkwardly. "Nah, I can't be killed that easily!" he attempted to joke.

Cheshire suddenly emerged from the mirror and Break stood in front of her protectively.

"Looks like that mangy cat hasn't given up," He mumbled. He noticed the cat's missing arm. "Oh my, what happened? Is this retribution?"

"Don't get arrogant!" The cat spat.

"An eye for an arm, this is just perfect,"

"Cheshire will kill you! Cheshire will kill all of you!" The cat screeched. Rei could only watch helplessly as the two started to exchange blows. The cat suddenly turned to Rei, and Break barely managed to block the set of claws that was descending on her. It managed to slice his arm, however and he cursed.

"Break!" Rei said worriedly.

"You're one damn annoying cat, aren't you?" Break said, clutching his arm. "Oh well, guess I have no choice but to summon Mad Hatter!"

He shut his eyes, threw his head back and summoned his Chain. The beast appeared in a flurry of chains and shadows, nearly filling the whole room with its size. It opened its one bulging red eye, and unleashed its powers.

Rei only remembered a blinding white light and a terrific scream from the Cheshire cat as its body disintegrated, and then the room was empty again. The Cheshire cat was gone. They were safe. Break however, was at the opposite end of the spectrum. He collapsed on his knees, coughing out blood.

"Break!" She hurried to him.

"I'm alright," He managed a grin, wiping his mouth. "This usually happens when I use the Mad Hatter."

"But why?"

"It's one of the strongest, and with my age it does have a side effect…"

"It destroyed the Cheshire cat," She said faintly. Even she knew that took an incredible lot of power to destroy such a strong Chain. Break was much stronger than he seemed.

"Yup, my Chain has the power to eradicate any Chain from the Abyss. Useful, but rather taxing on my old body…"

"You're injured too," Rei said, touching the bleeding arm.

"It'll heal. You're the one I should be worrying about. How did you end up in the mirror?"

"I don't know. A pair of arms just pulled me in."

Break stilled. "Did you…meet anyone in there?"

_Yeah, I met you._

But instead she said, "…No."

"Okay, we should go. Eques is waiting for us."

"Alright,"

* * *

**A/N:** So there ends the chappy. I updated so much faster, which is such an achievement T_T And the reason why Rei lied to Break about meeting him…well, it will be explained in the next chapter.

Gosh, it's almost 5AM now. …Urgh. Do any of you seem to find motivation to write only very late at night?

Anyway, please click that button below and review with fingers crossed! They really make my tired, unhappy days so worthwhile and always put a huge smile on my face. And more reviews always motivate me to write and update faster. So if you want to see more Rei and Break…**please review **because I put a lot of effort into this!(:


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